The Legend of Rune: Rising Fears ReMIX
by Deeth Irteen
Summary: Rune is a young dragon living in the new era of the Dragon Realms, 150 years after Dawn of the Dragon. When familiar faces arrive in the place he's called home for six years, he learns of a way to bring back someone he's lost. But he doesn't realize that he's at the center of a conflict left in Spyro's wake. Rate T for violence.
1. Prologue

You know about the legend, right? The legend of Spyro?

Many years ago, there was a purple dragon with extraordinary powers. He was able to wield the elements of fire, ice, lightning, earth, and several others unseen. Unfortunately, he was born at a time when the dragon race was in danger of dying. He had the power to either save the Dragon Realms... or destroy them.

But he wasn't alone. He had many allies. He brother was a dragonfly, who always watched his back. The Guardians, wise and powerful dragons, trained him to use his power for good. And most importantly of all, there was the black dragoness, Cynder. Cynder was once forced into the servitude of a great evil. But through Spyro's love and support, she cast aside her shackles and fought for good.

Spyro and Cynder defeated the great evil, and the world was reborn in the ashes of the old one. Many new dragons emerged, free to inherit the world. Elements once fought unnatural, were now the norm of these new dragons. They were Poison, Wind, Shadow and Fear; the Dark Elements. And the dragons that wielded them were named dark dragons.

It's been so many years since Spyro and Cynder reshaped the Dragon Realms. The world is such a different place now. I fear that more troubling times are ahead. The realms will need someone new to fill the mantle of hero. But no matter how worried I get, I always remember that old prayer to calm my nerves...

 _Look to the past, oh so far away._

 _Look towards the stars, for help along the way._

 _Let the winds guide you home, may your foes run in fear._

 _Let them fall away, once your home is near._


	2. Act 1, Chapter 1

A chill wind blew lazily through the treetops in the forest thicket, eliciting creaks and shuffles like the overwrought bones of the elderly. The stars in the heavens could have simply ceased to exist for the their presence in the sky. In this preternatural and eerie darkness, the forest itself was quite. Its inhabitants were silent and watchful.

In this black and silent forest, a single form moved.

A young dragon furtively wandered a narrow pathway framed by towering, skeletal trees who's branches almost seemed to reach out for him. His yellow eyes, so like a feline in function if not form, pierced the near-total darkness, giving him at least some vision to work with. He dared to draw only shallow breath, and every time a twig snapped or a dry leaf crunched underfoot, he flinched, peering around as if afraid the forest would take notice.

Two teal horns grew from the back corner of his head, bent backwards at a downward angle. Four smaller horns grew outwards from just behind his jaw. A ragged mane of crimson hair fell down between his ear frills. The youngling didn't know how he had gotten into this forest, but he didn't care to find out. Instead, he focused his eyes towards the clearest thing he could see: _Fire_.

Far to the north, part of the forest was engulfed in flames that emerged from nowhere. The fire spread across the patchy forest horizon, devouring everything in its path. Cries of horror filled the distant sky as dragons rushed to escape the inferno.

 _What's happening...?_ The youngling wondered.

The youngling heard the sound of sobbing coming from somewhere between himself and the flames. A shiver ran along his spine as the sorrow grew louder. Overcome with sickening curiosity, he crept forwards towards the source of the flames.

The young dragon continued on his way through the trees, pushing back the sounds of screaming. The closer he got to the fire, the clearer the sobbing was. He was filled with complete dread when he came upon the source of the crying. Sprawled on the forest floor was an adult dragoness. She covered her face with a wing, which was scratched and torn allover. Her tail was curled up around herself as her body trembled.

The young dragon felt a pit in his stomach as he approached. He held a paw out to get the dragoness's attention. "H... Hello?"

The dragoness stopped crying and moved her wing away. But as she turned her head towards the youngling, the flames suddenly roared to life. The fires rushed forwards towards the dragons. The youngling screamed as the flames overwhelmed him. He had only a split second to see the dark visage of the dragoness's face, before he screamed in agony...

~~...~~

Nellie started awake, awoken by the screams and sobs coming from the next room. She rubbed the slumber form her eyes and looked off towards the wall before the adjacent rom.

"Rune?" She wondered, concerned. She got onto her feet, wiping a strands of ocean-blue hair out of her face, and walked towards Rune's room.

Nellie was a water dragoness. She was thirteen years old with a frail, sky-blue frame. Her scales were neatly kept so that they shimmered even in the smallest gleam. Two pink horns grew just behind her eyes, pointed directly down her neck. A small, dark blue birthmark in the shame of a tear was just underneath her left horn, though partially hidden by her mane.

Nellie walked a few yards down the hallway and stopped before Rune's door. After pushing it open, she saw Rune lying on his straw mattress on the far side of the room.

"No..." He mumbled. Tears poured from his closed lids as he twitched about.

Nellie sighed in pity. She walked up to Rune and shook him by the shoulder. "Rune, wake up."

"It's so hot... It burns..."

Nellie groaned and started shaking him even harder. "Rune, WAKE UP!"

Still no luck. Frustrated, Nellie inhaled deeply. She held a forepaw before her mouth and quickly exhaled. Instead of a regular puff of air, a small cloud of ice-cold mist left Nellie's muzzle. The mist surrounded her forepaw, which she then quickly slapped down on Rune's shoulder. The boy immediately leapt off his bed, yelping in alarm from the freezing sting. He stumbled around in confused surprise.

"What?! How did I...?! Where is...?" After a moment, Rune realized he was in his bedroom, and he exhaled calmly. "It was only a dream..." Rune spotted Nellie standing off to the side, her face filled with concern. He turned to face her, nervously scratching his mane. He frowned. "What are you doing here, Nellie?"

"Rune, you were shouting in your sleep again." She said. "You sounded like you were in pain this time."

"I did?" Rune asked, unnerved.

"Rune, this is the third night in a row that this has happened."

Rune tilted his head low. "I... I didn't know. I'm sorry."

Nellie grimaced. "Rune, it hurts to hear you crying out so much. We should tell Mom and Dad about this. They might know what to do about your nightmares."

"Um..." Rune looked back up. "Do you really think they can help me?"

Nellie stepped closer and gave a reassuring smile. "Of course they can. Why wouldn't they?"

"Alright, if you say so..."

Nellie draped a wing over Rune's back and gave him a hug. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight." Rune said halfheartedly. After that, Nellie shut the door behind herself. Rune was left alone with his thoughts. He frowned again. He sat down on his mattress, his eyes casually glancing around his room.

The floor and walls were made of blue-tinted marble, which produced a small clinking noise from dragons' talons. The two side walls had torch-stands attached to them, their flames currently extinguished. A wooden dresser sat upon the left wall, which had a few portraits and a small mirror placed atop it. Most of Rune's belongings sat inside the drawers of the dresser, except for a brown satchel that sat at the dresser's foot. Off to the left of his mattress was a large, glass window.

Rune was able to make his way about the dark room as though it were bright as day. He stopped before the window and observed the surrounding city beyond. Far off in the distance, illuminated by the fires of over a thousand torches, was a massive palace: The Grand Palace of Glenhaven. It towered over everything else from the center of the city, atop a mighty rock formation.

Rune turned his head up to the night sky. Two massive heavenly bodies, the Twin Moons, glowed vibrant with light. The larger moon, Artemis, was off on the eastern edge of the horizon, while her sister, Diana, was off to the west.

"Another dream about her..." Rune said quietly. "Why is it always the same?"

He looked across the room at his mirror. Rune approached it, taking in every inch of himself. Rune was a little over thirteen years old, his hatchday being in the middle of winter. His scrawny figure was a bright red hue. His mane was as ragged as its ever been. The golden, forlorn eyes of his reflection looked back at him. Every few moments, a small, white light would glint in the center of each eye.

"Six years." He said to himself. "It's been six years, and only NOW am I having nightmares. I don't remember ever being in a forest, and I don't remember who that dragoness is. But that face. I _know_ that face. And those flames..." Rune shivered as he remembered in the spreading inferno. "It all seemed so real. But why? Why can't I remember?"

Rune walked back to his mattress, subconsciously flapping his wings.

"I should talk to somebody. Maybe Hontus, or Seraph. Or maybe someone else entirely." A yawn escaped his mouth, making him realize just how tired he was. "I'll deal with this in the morning. I need some sleep."

Rune climbed back onto his mattress and positioned himself so he could get comfortable. He shut his eyes, enjoying the comfort of the straw as he drifted off to sleep...

~~...~~

Rune found himself being shaken from slumber. The first thing his waking eyes saw were the maroon eyes of his adoptive mother, Seraph.

"Time to get up, sweetie." She said warmly.

Seraph was a water dragoness, roughly in her mid thirties. Fittingly enough, her scales were a bright, azure hue. Her two silver horns were similar in shape to her daughter's, but thicker. Small onyx bands adorned her braided, dark blue mane. She wore a silver medallion emblazoned with a sea serpent.

Rune shut his eyes with a grumble. He turned to the side and curled up. "Ten more minutes..."

"Come on, Rune." Seraph scolded lightly. "You have to get up." The youngling slowly rose to his paws, a low yawn escaping his maw.

"Good morning, Seraph." He greeted, rubbing the last bit of slumber from his eyes. "Are Nellie and Blank awake?"

"Blankridge has already left for the day, but Nellie's eating breakfast. She's been waiting for you to wake up." Seraph said. "She's in the living room right now."

"Thanks."

Seraph left the room and closed the door. Rune let out another yawn, stretching his wings and tail out. He walked over to his dresser to prepare for the day's events. He brushed his mane, polished his scales, and draped his satchel over his neck. Once Rune was ready to go, he walked out of his room. Seraph was waiting in the hallway, a concerned expression upon her muzzle. She noticed that the youngling was moving more lethargically than usual.

"Rune, did you sleep okay last night?" Seraph asked. "Nellie told me you were crying."

Rune felt his stomach sink. "I... I had a nightmare."

"What about?" Seraph frowned.

"Uh... It's a little hard to say."

Seraph lowered her head to Rune's eye level. "Rune, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Yes." He answered.

"So, what did you dream about?"

"It was..." Rune stammered a little. "I think it had something to do with... From back then."

"Back then?"

"Back when I was a little cub. I can't remember everything; It's all fuzzy."

"I see..." Seraph looked to the side, feeling ashamed. "I... I don't know a lot about back then either, Rune. I'm sorry..."

Rune bent his head down. "It's okay, Seraph."

Seraph's eyes flashed; She got an idea. "Hold on, let's talk to your father." The dragoness turned and dashed towards the back of the family dwelling. "Hontus?!"

At the back of the family home was the master bedchamber. Upon opening the door, she saw her husband Hontus standing before a dresser. He was affixing a gauntlet to his right foreleg.

Hontus was a fire dragon, just a year older than Seraph. Three thick horns grew upon his head; two grew just above his eyes and a third on the back of his head. A suit of thick, red armor covered most of his muscular frame. A silver visor sat upon his head, around a mane of yellow hair.

Hontus was one of the Guardians of Glenhaven. His visor and chest-plate were inscribed with the official seal of his order; a large, purple dragon's head surrounded by a golden sphere. The Guardians were the Elders' highest-ranking officers. Their main duty was to defend the city and its people from invasion.

"Hontus?" Seraph asked to get his attention.

He turned his gaze towards her and smiled. "Hey, love."

"Good morning, Hontus." Rune nodded.

"Morning, kiddo."

"Hontus, we need to take Rune to see Elder Telus." Seraph said.

Hontus was concerned. He looked down at Rune. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I've... I've been having nightmares about when I was little."

"What?" Hontus's eyes went wide. "Are you remembering anything?"

"Maybe? I'm not sure." Rune frowned.

Hontus stepped forwards and lowered down to Rune. "Well, if there's anyone who might know what to do about your nightmares, it's the Elders. Come on; we'll all go to see them together."

Rune smiled. "Okay."

"Not before you eat something for breakfast, sweetie." Seraph said. "It wouldn't do if you're sluggish all morning."

"Yes, ma'am." Rune turned to head for the kitchen. As he left, Hontus and Seraph exchanged glances.

"Do you really think the Elders can help him, Hontus?" Seraph asked. "They didn't know much about him when they found him."

"Elder Telus may have some answers." Hontus nodded. "He's always had a keen interest in Rune' development."

"If he remembers anything, that's good. Right? That way we can finally figure out where he came from."

"Of course, Love." Hontus nuzzled Seraph's forehead. "And even if he doesn't, we can still help Rune through his nightmares. I won't let any of my kids suffer from anything if I can prevent it."

Seraph sighed. "By the Ancestors, I hope you're right."

~~...~~

The grasslands of Glenhaven took up a significant portion of the eastern side of the city. The lush green landscape of the area, along with its various hills and trees, served as a great contrast to the harsh climate of the desert that sat just outside the city walls. Various breeds of sheep, goats, cows and similar farm animals wandered across the grassy plain, and a few streams and rivers ran through the northern and southern ends of the area.

In the middle of the grasslands, three young dragons were chasing a group of sheep. At the head of the trio was the oldest, Blankridge.

Blankridge, or Blank as his friends called him, was an orange-scaled fire dragon. He was a toughly-built boy for his age. He had his mother's maroon eyes and blue mane, though his was short and unkempt. Most of his scales were stained with dirt and grass, and his talons tore at the ground as he ran.

The two younglings following after Blankridge were two of his friends: A lightning dragon named Keith and a fire dragoness named Mary. The trio were quickly gaining on the sheep.

"Come back here!" Blankridge exclaimed.

The livestock ignored him and kept running, bleating the whole way. Keith and Mary ran just behind Blankridge laughing all the way. Blankridge pulled back for a jump. He launched himself forwards towards the sheep, wings spread wide and limbs outreached. Just as he was about to tackle one of the sheep, it quickly ran to the left, leaving him on a collision course for the dirt. He landed face-first in a pile of leaves and grass, grunting as he made impact.

Keith and Mary helped Blankridge up from the grass.

"Still think this was a good idea?" Mary chuckled.

"Classic Blank." Keith chided.

"Ha ha ha..." He said sarcastically. He spat out a wad of leaves.

"Look what you did, Blank." Mary said. "Your scales are a mess."

"Like I care." Blankridge rolled his eyes. "Besides, I have combat training today. I'll get all messed up anyhow."

After the encounter with the sheep, the trio walked off to an open pavilion. It was crowded with dragons, both young and old, as they went about their business. Just before the pavilion was a large dragon-shaped statue.. It was carved from a combination of amethyst and gold. The statue dwarfed even the largest of dragons in the pavilion even as it sat on its "haunches". Blankridge ran ahead of his friends and onto the statue's tail.

"Blank, what are you doing?" Keith asked.

"Check this out!" Blankridge clambered along the tail and leaped up onto the back. He grabbed onto the statue's various back-spikes to hoist himself upwards. Once he stood on the left shoulder, he jumped up and clung to one of the golden horns upon the head. From there, it was a simple glide to land between the two horns. Keith and Mary dashed to the front of the statue and watched as Blankridge repeatedly patted the statue's head.

"Blank, get down from there!" Mary exclaimed.

"Relax, guys!" Blankridge smirked. "I'm just having some fun up here."

"Hey, get down from there!" A nearby cheetah shouted. The cheetah was dressed in guard's armor. "Don't you know not to play around on a holy relic?!"

"I'm not doing anything wrong!" Blankridge protested.

"I said GET DOWN!"

"Alright, alright..." Blankridge groaned. He spread his wings and glided down to the ground. Once his feet landed, he immediately took off into a run towards a nearby table, nearly shoving the same cheetah over

"Hey, watch where you're going!" He hissed.

"Sorry!" Blankridge shouted as he kept running.

Dragon weren't the only creatures that inhabited the city of Glenhaven. Felines, canines, avians, moles, and my more made the city their home, and all did their part to make Glenhaven a great place to live.

Blankridge could feel the cheetah glaring at him as he sat down at the table. He lifted his satchel up from the chair just as Keith and Mary joined him.

"When is Emmy going to get here?" Keith asked.

"She'll be here soon." Blankridge answered. "You know how she is about schedules."

Just as he said that, he spotted a carriage approaching from town. Two brown stallions neighed loudly as they pulled to a stop before the pavilion. The carriage itself was made form the finest wood and metal. The coachman was mole dressed in a fine suit. The mole hopped down from the carriage and went to open the side door. A pair of cheetah guards stepped out of the carriage and took formation on either side of the door. The mole then placed a footstool before the door as a young dragoness stepped out. Her name was the same as her scale color: Emerald.

Emerald was of short stature. She had a short, sea-green mane which was neatly groomed. Two horns bent upwards from the back of her head and gleamed like gemstones. A pair of silver spectacles sat upon her short snout. She wore a lime green necklace, alongside various silver rings on her talons. A satchel of the finest leathers hung around her.

"Thank you, Remis." Emerald said to the mole.

"You're welcome, milady." The coachman bowed his head, nearly losing his hat. Emerald turned to walk towards the pavilion, her guards following beside her. Blankridge happily waved her over from the table. She walked up and sat beside Mary.

"Morning, Emmy!" Keith smiled.

"Hello." Emerald said, not looking at him.

"Sleep well?" Blankridge asked.

"Of course I did." Emerald snorted. "I always-" She stopped when se saw the dirt allover Blankridge's scales. "Ugh! Why are you so **filthy**?"

"He tried to catch one of the sheep again." Mary smirked. "He failed."

"You're not actually going to class like **that** , are you?" Emerald demanded.

"Relax, Emmy. I'll end up looking the same way after training."

"Be that as it may, it's unbecoming of you to walk around so... **ghastly**."

"Are you going to make me wash up, MOM?" Blankridge chuckled.

Emerald only growled in irritation as Keith and Mary laughed. Before long, Emerald sighed. "Are you done dilly-dallying here, Blank? We have to get going."

"I've got plenty of time, still." Blankridge replied.

"Oh, is that right?" Emerald raised an eye ridge. "Where are Nellie and Rune?"

"They're probably at the palace right now." Blankridge shrugged.

"They went without you?" Emerald asked.

"Nah, I just left early. I wanted to get some exercise in the grasslands before school."

Emerald got up from the table, shaking her head. "Well, we might as well get going ourselves."

"Why?" Blankridge demanded. Emerald just gave Blankridge an irritated glance.

"Because we're supposed to, that's why!"

Blankridge shook his head, sighing. "Oh, man. I hate school."

"Come on, Blank." Emerald said, tapping her paw.

"Alright, alright." Blankridge grumbled. He stood up and sulked. "See ya, guys."

"Later!" Keith and Mary called after them.

Blankridge and Emerald walked to the carriage and got onboard. Remis closed the door behind them, putting the foot stool away. He returned to the driver's seat and took the reins.

"Why do you always have to be so bossy?" Blankridge grumbled as he sat down across from Emerald.

"Somebody has to keep you in line when Nellie's not around." She looked down her muzzle at him.

"I'm not a hatchling; I can take care of myself." Blankridge snorted. "Besides, I'm the oldest kid in our family!"

"You certainly don't act like it." Emerald scolded.

"You can be a real jerk sometimes."

"I'll have you know I'm not a jerk!" Emerald glared. "I'm a _lady_."

"Yeah, sure..." Blankridge turned to look out the window as the carriage left the pavilion. His eyes were focused on the amethyst statue. "He must have been a really cool dragon to get a statue THAT BIG."

Emerald raised an eye ridge. "I don't really think 'cool' is the proper word to describe Lord Spyro."

"He's cool to me." Blankridge said. "Some day, I'm going to be a great hero, just like him."

"Yeah, that'll be the day." Emerald rolled her eyes.

"You'll see; Someday, I'm going to leave Glenhaven and do great things."

"You're not going anywhere if you can't stay focused in school long enough to spell his name." Emerald smirked.

Blankridge pouted and looked away. "It was just that one time..."

The two younglings rode in silence for the rest of the ride to the palace.

~~...~~

The morning sun crept over the sky above the Arcus Desert. A horse-drawn carriage was quickly travelling towards the city of Glenhaven from the west. The carriage was almost completely black, with the windows closed shut. The wolf coachman held tightly to the reins of the two white horses the pulled the carriage along. A red dragon sat beside the canine. He wore a set of dark grey robes, and his facial features were concealed by a hood.

The black carriage was followed by a string of other carriages. They slowed down as the first carriage came to a stop before the western gate of the city walls. An earth dragon and a lightning dragoness, both dressed in leather armor, stood before the gate. Both guards stood at the ready as the red drake stepped down from the carriage.

"Greetings." He said in a calm, almost uninterested manner.

"What business brings you to Glenhaven?" The lightning dragoness asked.

"We are a group of travelling nomads. We've come to rest in Glenhaven for a few days before moving on to the east. And if it's at all acceptable, I'd like to have an audience with the Elders of Glenhaven."

"And why do you wish to speak to the Elders?" The other guard asked.

"I seek their guidance on the whereabouts of someone important to me." He continued. "Please don't delay us; we have much to do." The two guards exchanged glances before looking back at him.

"Very well." the earth dragon said. He turned to face the stone wall and lit a nearby lantern. He then lifted it into the air, shaking it for a moment. A short while later, another guard atop the wall lit a similar lantern, shaking his in the same pattern. The iron gate rumbled as it slowly rose up, granting passage to the city.

"Enjoy your stay in Glenhaven." The lightning dragoness remarked as she and her partner resumed their post. "And stay out of trouble."

"I'll be sure of that." The red dragon replied in the same indifferent tone. He returned to the carriage as the coachman urged the horses onwards. The carriage passed through and onto one of the many dirt roads of Glenhaven. After a few minutes, the coachman brought the carriage to a stop at a wide town square. The other carriages circled around the square before their riders stepped down.

The dragon of the head carriage reached into his satchel and produced a cluster of Spirit Gems. "Take these and exchange them for someone to refurbish our carriage."

"Yes, sir." The wolf saluted. "I'll bring back whatever's left behind, milord."

The dragon nodded as he stepped down. He approached the side door and pulled it open, revealing two more dragons dressed in the same robes as his.

One was a large, overweight dragon. He carefully hobbled out of the caravan; he was missing his left hind-paw and most of his right wing. He scratched at his bushy black beard as he stepped into the daylight. After the large dragon, out stepped a green dragoness with a slender frame. Her elongated tail brushed the ground as she walked. Her wings, despite being folded over her back, were wide enough to fool onlookers into believing they were a cape.

The three robed dragons looked around at the city street as the wolf drove his carriage away. The streets weren't exactly silent, but neither were they as hustling and bustling as it would be later in the day.

"So, this is Glenhaven." The burly drake said.

"Aye." The red dragon said. It was about this time when a dozen dragons from the other carriages encircled around the trio. They came in an assortment of color, but all wore the same nomadic robes and bandages. A dragoness came forwards and bowed her head.

"What do we do now, milord?"

The red dragon looked out amongst the nomads. "Go out and replenish whatever supplies you need. Meet back with us here at this spot before sundown."

"Yes, milord." The dragoness turned and relayed the order to the nomads. As they dispersed, the red dragon approached a nearby, wooden display. Upon that display was a map of the city.

Glenhaven was almost one hundred years old, the youngest of the nine dragon cities. It was divided into four districts: The northern and southern districts were comprised mainly of shops, markets, forges, smelters, and other forms of business. The eastern district was a massive grasslands area. Shepherds looked after and provided livestock. The western section of the city was a residential area. Most of the houses were built on the ground and were of decent size, but a good number were built into massive towers of earth. These were reserved for the city's defenders; the Guardians.

"Do you think he's hiding in a place as big as Glenhaven?" The burly dragon asked.

"Since I don't know, thinking is the best I can do." The red drake answered. "It stands to reason he'll be in a big city."

"A bigger city means an easier time losing yourself in a crowd." The dragoness agreed.

"Few cities are big and foolish enough to hide royalty." The leader said. "And Glenhaven is the closest one on our journey. Ancestors know that it'll be a frustrating swim to reach Frostwryng."

The dragoness sighed. "Even with everyone we have with us, how are we going to search an entire city for one child?"

"Look." the red dragon gestured towards the very center of Glenhaven. "The Elders make a point of learning the names and faces of all the young dragons who come to train at the palace. So, we shall seek an audience with them. If it turns out the prince isn't hiding here, then we'll leave and continue our search elsewhere."

"Must we leave so suddenly?" The large dragon asked.

"We shouldn't stay in one place for any longer than we have to. Once we've replenished out supplies, we have to head out again. And I still can't decide on either Frostwryng or Aeroshard as the next place to search."

"There's one other thing we can do while we're in Glenhaven."

"What do you mean?" The dragoness asked.

The burly drake turned to face the east. "I'm going to seek out the city's library. There's something I wish to investigate that concerns the prince."

"What might that be?" The red dragon demanded.

"I'll tell the both of you once I've finished my research. For now, head for the palace. I shall meet with you later."

The others exchanged glances, and then returned their gaze to the burly drake.

"Are you sure you can make the journey by yourself?" The leader asked.

"Of course." He chuckled. "It'll take more than missing limbs to prevent me from going where **I** want to go!" And with that, he walked off down the pathway.

"Take care, Aegis." The red dragon said. Once his companion was on his way, he turned his gaze back towards the palace, spreading his wings. "We'd best hurry. We don't want to deal with meddling passers-by."

"Agreed." The dragoness spread her own wings, and the duo took to flight.

They flew quickly and quietly a the approached the palace. Their eyes occasionally fell onto the city streets down below. Little by little, many dragons and non-dragons emerged to go about their lives in the bustling city.

"Do you think he is well?" The dragoness asked.

"Of course. I trust Aegis completely."

"Not him..." A frown formed on her face. "The prince."

The red dragon bent his head low to sigh. "I... I'm sure he's alive and well."

The dragoness frowned. "It's been nearly a month, Albanion. We've searched every village on the entire western side of this continent, and we've had no luck finding him. Where could he have gone?!"

"Hush up." Albanion snapped. The dragoness recoiled in surprise, to which the male weakened his expression. "I apologize. But we mustn't reveal to much. You never know who could be listening in, Elza."

"I know, I know..." Elza looked down at the city, sniffling. "I don't know what I would do if I were to find out he's..."

"Stop torturing yourself." Albanion said. "Yes, the prince is rather immature for his age. But he's no fool; he'd be smart enough to stay hidden. We'll find him, Elza. We just have to keep searching."

Elza looked up at Albanion. "I trust you, Albanion."

The duo continued towards the palace in silence...

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I hope you've been enjoying the reboot of The Legend of Rune so far. It may not seem like anything's all that different right now, but you'll start to notice it very soon. I'm hoping to upload a chapter once a week. Preferably, I'll get the new chapters up on Sunday. I know that's much slower than how I used to upload way back in 2011, but my good friend Dardarax has convinced me to take my time with the reboot. Here's hoping that everyone finds each chapter worth the wait. See you next week, everyone!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	3. Act 1, Chapter 2

Hontus, Seraph, Rune and Nellie flew above the streets of Glenhaven, making their way towards the Glenhaven Palace.

The sky was clear of any clouds today, and the sun beat down hard on Rune's back. Luckily, six years of studying fire magic had given Rune the ability to suppress the heat. A useful tool for any fire dragon living in the desert. Seraph and Nellie didn't have that ability, however; being water dragonesses, they instead used her own magic to cool down. Hontus and Rune ended up flying ahead of them.

"Are you two okay this morning?" Hontus looked back at them.

"I'm fine, Dad." Nellie said, flapping her wings.

"Let's just focus ahead, dear." Seraph added. "We're almost at the palace." Glenhaven Palace sat upon what was once a small mountain in the center of the desert. It was built by earth dragons under the direction of Terrador, the Guardian of Earth of the time. Nowadays, Terrador's great-grandson, Telus, was one of the three Elders of Glenhaven.

A wide, stone staircase spiraled around the mountain, starting at the base and ending before the palace's front gates. The main function of the palace, aside from being the Elders' home, was to be a school for the many young dragons of Glenhaven.

The family of dragons folded their wings to glide down to the front courtyard before the entrance. As they landed, Rune potted a pair of robed dragons waiting by the gate. Their backs faced Rune's family a they looked upon the palace structure. The male looked up wards at the gates, while the female looked between the two guards on either side of the gate.

Rune looked up uneasily at the sight of their robes. He casually stepped back to stand beside Seraph. "Who are they?"

Hontus looked uneasily upon the strangers. Rune felt as though Hontus was threatened by their dark robes. He shook his head and snorted. "They're just travelers, kiddo."

As Hontus led his family towards the gate, the two robed dragons turned around. When they spotted the Guardian, the taller one raised an eye ridge. "You're a Guardian, I presume?"

"Uh... Welcome to Glenhaven Palace." Hontus cautiously bowed his head. "What brings you here so early in the morning?"

"Good day, Sir Guardian." The pair bowed their heads. "We've come seeking to speak to the Elders for guidance."

"Oh?" Hontus scratched his beard. "What for?"

While Hontus spoke awkwardly to the strangers, Rune and Nellie backed up to look out upon the city. Seraph draped a wing over them. Rune tried not to focus on the strangers. He couldn't deny that he shared Hontus's nervous feeling about them. But while Hontus found them unnerving, Rune felt something... odd.

 _Have I met them before?_ He pondered.

He didn't have long to think about this, as Nellie fluttered her wings and extended a forepaw at the city. "Look! Blank and Emerald are here!"

Down below, a lavish carriage came to a stop before the mountain. A moment later, two young dragons stepped out of it and flew up towards the palace. Rune took a breath of relief to see the duo coming. They flew up over teh platform and landed a short distance away before trotting up to them.

"Hello, dears." Seraph turned and smiled down.

"Hi, Mom." Blank dashed up and winked at Rune and Nellie. "Hey, guys."

Emerald walked up and sat down on her haunches, her snout pointed to the sky. "Hi."

"Uh... Hi, Emerald." Rune said awkwardly. Emerald said nothing else as she waited for the gates to open. Blankridge and Nellie talked for a bit with Seraph, leaving Rune to himself. He curiously gazed back towards the robed dragons, who had resumed their silent waiting. They paid Rune no mind, but something about them sent a shiver down Rune's back.

 _Those robes_ , he mused. _Where have I...?_

"They're opening up!" Blankridge shouted.

Seraph stood beside Hontus as the four younglings walked between them. The guards pulled the doors aside, and a large dragon approached form the opposite side of the doors.

"Hontus?" He asked. "You're early."

"Hail, Voden." Hontus grunted and saluted.

Voden was another of the Guardians of Glenhaven. His orange scales and sunlight-yellow eyes made him one of the brightest-looking dragons in the palace, and he had the smile to match. He wore a thick saddle on his back, which carried several bags filled with books and supplies. He wore similar armor to Hontus, complete with a visor over his short brown mane.

"Voden, my family requires an audience with the Elders." Hontus said.

"Very well." Voden nodded. "I'm sure you know the way without me."

"Pardon my interruption..." The male robed dragon said. "...But my comrade and I _also_ seek an audience with the Elders. And it's of dire importance."

Voden's expression turned serious at the grave sight of the strangers. "Um... Alright then. But the Guardians take precedence over visitors. I hope you can understand."

"Actually," Hontus said, "They _were_ here before we arrived. It's only fair if they see the Elders before us, I suppose."

"But what about our son's nightmares?" Seraph demanded.

"We have to honor our guests, Seraph." Hontus said. He eyed the strangers cautiously. " _All_ guests..."

Voden stepped back so Hontus could lead the way into the palace. Seraph and the younglings followed him, and the two strangers stood in the very back. Seraph looked back at the strangers.

"Excuse me, if you don't mind me asking..." Seraph said. "Why do you wear robes that are so... unfit for desert weather?"

"These robes are a tradition of our people." The male said coldly. "We have adapted to withstand any weather, from seering heat to blistering cold."

"Really?" Seraph scrunched up her face." But, how do you put them on? I don't see any seems or zippers or ANYTHING?"

"That is not important." The male said.

Seraph frowned. "If you say so."

The group continued on their way. As they walked into the preceding hallway, Nellie kept an eye on Rune. She watched him curiously as he, in turn, glanced back nervously at the two strangers.

"Rune?" Nellie asked. He ignored him and kept walking.

 _The more I hear them talk..._ Rune scratched the back of his head with a wing, _The more I feel like I've met them before..._

Rune tilted his head just enough to look at the two robed dragons. He focused on them, trying to think on where he'd met them. Everything else was pushed out of his mind, leaving only the strange dragons in a dark void of memories. He shut his eyes and took a deep, slow breath.

Rune saw two new dragons standing in the strangers' place. The male had dark grey scales and the female had dark green. A much younger Rune sat before them, looking up happily. The two dragons looked back down at him with warm smiles, and wings extended to offer a hug.

"AHEM." Rune snapped back to reality. Rune had stopped in his tracks, blocking the robed dragons' path. The male had sneered down at him. "You're in our way, boy."

"S-Sorry." Rune scurried away to stand beside Seraph. The water dragoness sheltered Rune with a wing as she glared at the strangers.

"Don't speak to my son like that!" She snarled.

"Your son was preventing our forward progression." The robed female snapped.

"Can't you forgive him for such a minor mistake?" Seraph demanded.

The male stranger snorted. "Fine. But please let us continue onwards."

"Fine..." Seraph lightly nudged Rune to keep going. "Come on, sweetie."

"O-Okay..." Rune moved to follow Hontus. Blankridge, Nellie and Emerald sped up to walk alongside him.

"What was that all about, Rune?" Blankridge asked. "Why'd ya stop?"

"I don't know." He said. "I guess I was just thinking."

"You mustn't block the hallways, Rune." Emerald said.

"Alright, I get it, Emerald." Rune sighed.

Before long, the group finally arrived before the a massive pair of iron doors, engraved with the image of a mighty purple dragon. Four glyphs of unique colors surround the dragon. The walls around the doors bore torches interspaced with portraits of Terrador and his descendants.

Two dragons stood guard on either side of the doors. They nodded in recognition of Hontus, who opened one of the doors and poked his head inside. "My lieges, it is I, Guardian Hontus. I've come to request an audience for my family."

"Ahem..." The male stranger coughed forcefully.

"...A-And two strangers request your audience as well." Hontus quickly added. He backed up as an aged, green dragon walked through the doors. Everyone bowed their heads in greeting.

"Good morning, Elder Telus." The younglings said in unison.

"Good morning, grandfather." Emerald said.

Telus's weathered scales and hole-ridden wings stood as reminders of the countless battles he fought during his youth. Six broad horns crowned his head, around a short grey mane. He wore a headdress adorned with rubies and sapphires upon his brow. His forelegs and hind legs were decorated in stainless steel armor.

Telus briefly acknowledged the younglings before turning his weathered gaze towards the two robed dragons. "I presumed you are the 'guests' that Hontus mentioned."

"We need your aid, Elder." The female figure said. "I ask you to hear us out."

"Hmm..." Telus tapped a talon on his chin before addressing Hontus. "Sir Hontus, you also need to speak to us, correct?"

"Yes, milord." Hontus bowed his head. "It concerns our son Rune."

"Young Rune?" Telus blinked. He looked down at Rune with concern. The youngling shifted nervously under the Elder's gaze. Telus looked back up at Hontus. "I see... Hontus, as concerned as I am with Rune's well-being, I have my duties to attend to. Namely, the personal training for Blankridge and Emerald."

"But milord-" Seraph started to say.

"I apologize, Seraph, but the training comes first. I'll speak to you all about Rune later."

Seraph frowned. "As you command, milord."

"And as for our guests," Telus looked towards them. "The two of you can speak to the other Elders. I hope you're not offended by my absence."

"Not at all, Elder." The robed dragons bowed their heads. "We thank you all for any assistance you give us."

Telus smiled. "Very well, then. Rune, Nellie, the two of you should go off to your first period classes."

"Yes, Elder." Rune and Nellie bowed their heads.

"Blankridge, Emerald, come with me to your training session."

"Yes, sir." They responded. Telus walked by the group and down the far hallway, Emerald following close behind. Rune, Nellie and Blankridge hugged their parents goodbye before splitting up.

Before he could leave, Seraph lightly nuzzled the top of Rune's head. "We'll see you two later, okay?"

"O-okay..." Rune lightly pushed her snout away. "Don't do that out in the open. It's embarrassing."

Rune and Nellie left down the hallway. During that time, an aged blue dragon stepped through the open doorway. "What's going on out here?"

"Hail, Elder Krystallos." Hontus grimaced.

Krystallos was the tallest and thinnest of the Elders. His scales were composed of various shades of blue, and when caught in light, they appeared to ripple like the waves of the ocean. A tattoo in the form of a black serpent was branded onto his foreleg, the tail wrapping around the elbow. He wore the same armor as Telus.

"Elder Telus just told these two guests to speak to you for guidance." Hontus continued.

"And why are you here so soon, Hontus?" Krystallos demanded.

"Erm, my wife and I were just about to get going, sir." Hontus said. "We'll be back later when Telus has free time."

"Well, off with you, then." Krystallos waved them away and looked towards the robed dragons. "And you two, step inside already."

Hontus and Seraph bowed their heads and walked down the hallway. The robed dragons watched the pair as they left.

"What did you say your son's name was again?" The robed female asked.

"It's Rune." Seraph glared. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason..."

~~...~~

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Elders. My name is Albanion. And this is my companion, Elza." He bowed his head.

"It is an honor." Elza bowed as well.

The two stood in the center of the main chamber, an expansive room constructed out of pristine marble. Krystallos and Attonita sat across from them upon large thrones.

"It is always a pleasure to have visitors as eccentrically dressed as yourselves." Attonita said with a smirk. Attonita was the shortest in stature of the three Elders, although she still towered over Albanion and Elza by at least half a head. A pair of gold-rimmed spectacles sat atop her beaklike muzzle, and a large assortment of silver necklaces adorned her neck alongside a silver choker.

"We've been travelling for quite some time to get here." Elza said.

"What brings you to Glenhaven?" Krystallos queried.

"Well milord, we are searching for a child." Albanion said.

" _Your_ child?" Attonita wondered.

"...Not quite, ma'am." Elza said, slightly amused. "We're searching for our master's child. He fled from home some time ago, and we seek to bring him back. He's eluded us for weeks, and we feel he might have hidden away amongst the students at this school."

"I see..." Krystallos said. "Well then, perhaps if you describe him to us, I can search for him, using this." He motioned towards a large, spherical pool that sat in the middle of the floor before the dragons. A layer of ethereal runes surrounded the perimeter of the pool, and its waters shimmered a verdant green.

"What is that?" Elza asked.

"This is the Pool of Visions." Krystallos answered. "I use it to keep tabs on all the children who attend school in the palace. If your master's son is here, I'll find him."

"Thank you, milord." Albanion bowed his head.

"Hold on, don't thank me just yet." Krystallos said.

"Is something the matter?" Attonita asked.

"There are still some things you haven't told us yet." The water elder continued.

"What do you mean?" Albanion asked.

"Where, exactly, do you hail from?"

The two robed dragons exchanged glances. Albanion took a deep breath and spoke. "We come from a group of travelling nomads. We've been living all across the Dragon Realms ever since the war ended."

"And who is your master?" Krystallos asked.

"We are not at liberty to say."

"And why not?" Attonita queried.

"Our master has forbidden us from revealing his name, out of mistrust. Our people are not used to dragons with homelands, so he wants us to give out only the most harmless of information during our search. We mean no offense, I assure you."

"If you don't tell us everything, how can we have assurance that everything you're saying is true?"

"We only wish to see the boy returned home." Elza pleaded. "We worry about him night and day. We'd tell you more if we could, but we cannot, as per our lord's orders. Can't you understand our side of this?"

The two Elders exchanged glances. Krystallos shut his eyes and sighed. "What is the boy's name?"

"Cyrus." Albanion answered.

"He may have gone by an alias." Elza added.

"What does he look like?" The two robed drakes gave a decent description of the youngling.

"...And he's roughly thirteen years old." Albanion finished. "Thirteen in winter."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Krystallos stood before the pool and held his left forepaw out to it. He shut his eyes and began chanting to himself in ancient draconian. As he chanted, the water spiraled around the edge of the pool, shifting between a plethora of hues. The water seemed to drop deeper and deeper into the pool as they flushed towards the center of the pool. Eventually, the water calmed down and formed a blank layer of grey water across the top of the pool. Krystallos opened his eyes and sighed.

"He's not in Glenhaven." He said. "I am sorry."

Elza bent her head low in sadness. Albanion frowned at the sight. He placed a forepaw on hers and whispered something to her. Elza lifted her head up, eyes watering.

"Are you alright?" Attonita asked.

"I'm... fine." Elza wiped her face.

"I thank you for at least giving us a moment of your time to aid us, Elders." Albanion said solemnly. "Before we leave, I have another small request."

"What is it?" Attonita asked.

"The rest of our nomadic troupe have stopped to rest in Glenhaven. If it's alright with you, we'd like our people to spend the next few days here to replenish our supplies. A long journey lies before us, and we need to be prepared."

"Will you avoid contact with the students?" Krystallos queried.

"You have our word." Elza answered, her eyes no longer tearing. "We won't harass the younglings."

Krystallos looked towards Attonita, who nodded in approval. The water elder looked back at them. "You may do as you have asked."

"Thank you." Albanion said again. He looked towards Elza. "We're done here. Let's be off."

As the two robed dragons turned around to leave the chamber, Elza looked back at the Elders. "May the ancestors bless you for the rest of your lives."

"And may they bless you as well." The Elders responded.

Elza turned back forwards and followed Albanion out the door. As they slammed shut, Elza hurried to walk alongside her companion.

"Do you remember that boy who blocked our path?" She asked.

"Ah, him." Albanion snorted. "What of him?"

"I've been thinking during our time talking to the Elders..." Elza said. "That boy's name was Rune." Albanion came to a stop. Elza stopped as well, her face full of concern. "Albanion?"

"It had to be a coincidence." He said. "The Rune we knew as lost to us long ago, Elza."

"But Albanion-"

"Enough. Get your head out of the clouds." He kept walking forwards. Elza knelt her head in sadness. As she followed Albanion, it was a struggle not to collapse into tears.

"Elenar, forgive me." She whispered.

~~...~~

Emerald and Blankridge stood in the lower section of a large combat arena. Various statues of past Elders and Guardians circled the arena. Four wide gates led out of the arena. Rows of bleachers sat in the upper section above them. Everything was illuminated by countless torches along the walls of both sections.

The two younglings were surrounded by wood-and-straw dummies, all of which were shaped like apes. Blankridge and Emerald each faced the same enemies: three small dummies, four medium-sized dummies, and two large dummies. Blankridge faced the east side, while Emerald was at his back. All the dummies snarled and howled like real apes, clashing their weapons against wooden shields.

Telus stood in a balcony above the arena, paws adjusting a small control console. "The rules for this exercise are as follows: You may use any physical or magical attacks that you please. You my glide about, but flight is forbidden. Now, are you two ready?"

"You ready for this, Emmy?" Blankridge grinned.

"I'm always ready." She said matter-of-factly.

"BEGIN!" Telus bellowed. The dummies immediately charged at the younglings, who both dashed forwards.

The small dummies charged at Emerald, ready to claw at her. The dragoness dodged to the left, narrowly missing their attacks. She countered by leashing an earth bomb at them. The blast sent the dummies flying in random directions, and Emerald charged at them. She used her magic to augment her strength as she rammed a dummy into the air. The dummy was sent flying out of the arena, smashing to pieces against a far wall. The pieces exploded into green and red gems.

Before Emerald could enjoy her spoils, one of the larger dummies bashed her hard across the side with its fist. She groaned in pain as she rolled a short distance away. She happened to pass by a few stray gems, and she quickly regained stamina.

"Don't be distracted by a single target, Emerald." Telus scolded.

Meanwhile, Blankridge used his fire breath to set his dummies aflame. They danced madly about and howled in agony. Blankridge briefly chuckled at this before ramming into another dummy. As the ape swung his spear downwards, the youngling dodged to the side and leapt upon the dummy's back. He drove his talons and fangs into the neck and shoulders. The dummy shrieked, trying to shake Blankridge off as he tore chunks of wood and straw away. Every time the ape swung an arm to grab at him, the youngling swung out of the way.

Another dummy came up from behind and attempted to run Blankridge through with his spear. But the youngling saw it coming and leaped away just in time, causing the dummy to accidentally impale its ally. Blankridge laughed hysterically as the second dummy tried to pull its spear free from the first. The impaled dummy howled again before falling over and exploding into gems. Blankridge crept up on the other one and set it ablaze with a blast of orange fire. The dummy performed the same mad dance until it was no more.

A large dummy charged at Blankridge, swinging its club to smash his skull. Blankridge jumped back in surprise, barely missing having his head bashed open.

"Don't get too distracted, Blankridge!" Telus declared. "A distracted warrior is a dead one!"

Emerald was in the middle of staring down her remaining opponents. The dummies cackled at her, while the largest one raised his club in the air with a sneer. Emerald silently prepared another earth bomb. The dummies raced forwards, ready to strike. Emerald let loose her attack at the nearest dummy. As it went flying backwards, she used her normal earth breath to blast away the other dummies. She head-butted a dummy backwards at the big one. She then lunged at the dummy who was hit with the earth bomb. She sunk her fangs into its straw neck, tearing it open. As her victim exploded into gems, the other dummies charged at her, weapons at the ready. Emerald jumped away, rolled around the floor, and faced her remaining enemies, readying another earth bomb.

On the other side, Blankridge was facing down his only remaining opponent; the large ape dummy. There were no more gems for him to pick up, and he was left with little stamina and almost no magical energy. The dummy laughed at him.

"You, you are SO going down!" Blankridge sneered.

He ran forwards, charging up all of his remaining energy for one more fire blast. The ape swung its club in an arc around itself with great speed. Blankridge was smacked to the side. He stood up again, groaning in pain.

"Don't behave so foolishly, Blankridge!" Telus scolded.

As the dummy prepared to strike again, Blankridge turned his head in its direction and unleashed all of his remaining fire breath. The ape dropped its club and flailed about, orange fire burning it to a crisp. It soon fell over and exploded into a pile of gems, restoring Blankridge's health and energy.

"Sweet." He grinned. The youngling turned around to watch Emerald, who was having difficulty dealing with her own large ape. The others had all been destroyed by her earth bombs.

"Can I help her out, Elder?" Blankridge asked.

"You've completed your part of the exercise. Emerald has to complete hers alone." Telus said sternly.

"If you say so." Blankridge shrugged.

Emerald was reduced to little stamina, but she still had at least half her magic left. The dummy, meanwhile, had taken a beating, but was still plenty capable of fighting. Emerald sent an earth bomb at the dummy, but it blocked the attack with its club. The club broke in half upon impact, sending splinters in all direction. Emerald shielded herself with a wing before she was cut. She winced as a few chunks scratched her wing membrane. With her opponent unarmed, Emerald charged forwards again. She used the last of her magic to boost her strength. He leaped through the air and rammed into the dummy with a powerful head-butt, knocking it into the air. She then leaped into the air and struck the dummy downwards with another head-butt. It crashed into the floor, bursting to pieces on impact. The remains of the dummy broke into gems, and that was that.

Telus flipped a switch on the console. All the remaining shreds of straw and wood vanished into the floor.

"Well done." He said. "You two have completed the exercise. But not with flying colors."

"What do you mean, Grandpa?" Emerald asked.

Telus glided down to the younglings with a frown. "You both have problems with focus. Emerald, you have too much, while you, Blankridge, have too little. The two of you need to pay attention to everything that's going on around you during battle, not just one aspect of it."

Emerald bent her head low in embarrassment, while Blankridge grumbled.

"However, as I have said, you two succeeded." Telus reassured. "The both of you are showing excellent prowess with your respective elements. You just need more practice to avoid making such mistakes. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Blankridge and Emerald said together

"Good." Telus smiled. "Now then, you two are done here for the day. Gather your things and get ready for your next classes."

Blankridge and Emerald bowed their heads and left through the southern gate. They made their way to the locker rooms.

The exercise they had partaken in was one of several combat training exercises. Since they were each the offspring of a Guardian, they were enrolled in a special training program so that they could one day become candidates for Guardianship. Normally a wide number of factors determined which young dragons were selected for the program. However, Blankridge and Emerald, as well as Nellie and Rune, were given the opportunity as soon as they reached the appropriate age.

After Blankridge and Emerald gathered their respective belongings, the duo met in the corridor and headed off.

"So, what do you think about Rune's nightmares?" Blankridge asked.

"Well, I wouldn't know." Emerald replied. "But he certainly seemed a bit more uneasy lately."

"Weird, huh?" Blankridge asked. The two slipped into another hallway. It was crowded with students of various ages, from cub to teenager.

"What are you doing after school today?" Emerald asked.

"I don't know. I was probably going to hang out with bro and sis. Why?"

"Could you find the time to come with me to the library today?" Emerald asked. "I have to complete a book report, and I'll need help carrying the books I check out."

Emerald waited for ten seconds for an answer, but got none. "Blank?"

The orange drake was waving and chatting with a few of his friends they passed in the hallway. Emerald gritted her teeth. "Blankridge."

"...Yeah, I'll have to check it out!" Blankridge called to a pair of fire dragons. "See ya!"

"BLANK!" Emerald shouted.

"Huh, what?" Blankridge turned his attention towards Emerald. "What's up?"

"I asked you to come with me to the library after school." She said.

"What for?"

"I need help carrying my books."

"Oh, no you don't." Blankridge protested. "You have the magic to carry ten times your own weight!"

Emerald sneered. "First of all, magic is to be used only when it's necessary. Second of all, I help you with YOUR homework all the time. Why can't you do the same for me?"

"Help me?" Blankridge chortled a laugh. "If you call pressuring me into doing it 'helping', then you do way to much 'helping'. You need a vacation."

Emerald shook with anger. She used a wing-talon to rub her forehead. "Oh, forget it. There are so many other students worth asking for help from than a scatterbrained oath like YOU."

"Does that mean you'll stop 'helping' me with MY homework?" Blankridge grinned.

Rather than answer, Emerald shoved Blankridge against a locker and kept walking. The orange drake quickly recovered and trotted after her.

"I'll take that as a yes."

~~...~~

Rune was seated at his desk. He pulled out a textbook, some scrolls of blank parchment, and a quill and jar of ink from underneath the lid. He organized he belongings neatly and opened his textbook to begin reading. Nellie was seated at the desk to his left, scribbling on a parchment. Voden was at the front of the room, behind a large wooden teacher's desk. He was preparing his lesson plan for the day while many students were filing in and taking seats all around the semicircular room.

The students' desks were arranged in rows around Voden's desk. The rows were elevated so that everyone could see him. The walls were covered with portraits of various dragons, the biggest being a purple dragon at the back wall.

A bright yellow dragoness sat down to Rune's right and poked him in the shoulder.

"Morning, Rune!" She said in a cheery tone.

Rune blushed as he looked up at her. "Oh, h-hi Roxanne."

Roxanne was thirteen and a half, the oldest of Rune's circle of friends. She had an electric-blue mane around for lightning-shaped horns. She wore an old, tattered satchel around her neck. Her parents owned a local inn in the market district, and were just barely able to afford her schooling at the palace. As much as Rune enjoyed the others, Roxanne was the who made him smile the most.

Roxanne playfully poked Rune again before moving around him. Rune watched Roxanne walk up to Nellie's desk and plant a paw on it. "Hey, Nellie! Whatcha drawing?"

"Oh, uh, nothing much." Nellie said, hiding her drawing under another parchment. Roxanne giggled.

"Come on, Nellie. I wanna see." She stepped closer.

"It's not done yet." Nellie replied.

"I still wanna see it!" Roxanne protested. "You're such a good artist!" As the two girls went back and forth, Rune sighed. He buried his face deeper into the book to concentrate.

"I don't like showing my pictures when they're not done, Roxy." Nellie said. "You're not seeing it, and that's final."

"Girls, do you think you could tone it down a little?" Rune asked.

"You're no fun." Roxanne pouted.

"Girls, I'm trying to read!" Rune snapped. "Can't you please zip it for _five minutes_?!"

"Sorry..." Roxanne frowned, stepping away.

Rune gasped. He smacked his forehead for shouting. "N-No, wait! I didn't mean to be so angry!"

"It's okay, Rune." Roxanne carefully stepped back up.

"Don't mind him too much today." Nellie said. "He's been feeling a little out of it all morning."

"How come?"

"Well, he-"

Just then, a bell sounded in the hallway. Voden got up to shut the door. "Class has begun. Everyone in their seats."

Roxanne yelped in surprise and ran over to her seat. Voden walked to his side and picked up a piece of chalk. "Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Sir Voden." The class responded.

"Today, we're going to be going over a subject that was only recently added to our history books." Rune eagerly picked up a quill and prepared a parchment. "But before we begin, can anyone tell me the names of some of the elements of magic nowadays?"

Rune's paw was the first to reach into the air. A half dozen other students did the same shortly afterwards. Voden pointed towards a water dragon. "Yes, Vaun."

"For common elements are fire, earth, lightning and water." Vaun said.

"That's correct." Voden said. "Now, can anyone tell me a few more?"

A few paws rose, while the others went down. Rune's paw stayed in the air. Voden looked around, and pointed to a brown dragoness in the back. "Melody."

"Ice is an element too." Memory said. "It's an off-shoot of Water."

"Correct." Voden gave a few more examples of off-shoots of the four common elements. "Now, can anyone tell me an UN-common element?"

Everyone's paws went down, except for Rune's. All eyes fell on the red dragon, making him a little nervous.

"Can you give us the answer, Rune?"

"Time." Rune answered. "It's a rare element of magic that only a few dragons in recorded history have ever mastered. Once notable example is Lord Spyro."

"Right you are, Rune." Voden declared. Rune beamed with pride.

"Sir Voden, what does this have to do with history?" One of the students asked. "Aren't elements taught in Magic Basics Class?"

"True, but the elements are an important subject for this lesson, Aaron." Voden said. "Can anyone tell me what all the elements mentioned have in common?"

Once again, Rune was the only one with his paw in the air. Voden chuckled. "Go ahead, Rune.

"Fire, Water, Earth and Lightning, along with the off-shoots mentioned, are all elements that Light dragons can use." Rune said.

"Correct again." Voden nodded.

"Teacher's pet." Someone whispered behind Rune. He shifted in embarrassment.

"As I'm sure you've learned in your magic classes, these are forms of energy created from a single source; Light energy." Voden said, writing on the chalkboard. "Light energy is absorbed by dragons properly attuned to specific forms of the energy, creating their elemental properties. Hence why we're all called light dragons."

Rune got to work taking notes on what Voden wrote on the chalkboard.

"Sir Voden, I still don't get it." Aaron said.

"I'm getting to it, Aaron." Voden scolded. "Everything in the world has its equal and opposite: fire and water, lightning and earth, day and night, and so on. Collectively, the elements of light have their own opposite set; the elements of Darkness.

"The four elements of darkness are: Poison, Wind, Shadow, and Fear. There are dragons that draw power from Dark energy as opposed to Light. Dark energy creates the four dark elements. Hence, why they are called dark dragons."

"Sir Voden, I've never heard of those elements before." A young earth dragon said.

"Well, you grew up here in Glenhaven, Marble. There used to be many dark dragons living all around the world, rivaling the light dragons in population. But alas, not anymore."

"What happened to them?" Vaun asked.

"For many years, light and dark dragons lived peacefully under the watchful eyes of Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder. But after their passing, the relationship between the two races became strained. They always had difficulty seeing eye-to-eye on some things, but without Spyro and Cynder to act as their mediator, their differences came front and center. And one day, things came to a head when dark dragons attacked a light dragon city. Things only went downhill from there, and a great big war started up between the two races. It became known as the Twilight War."

"I heard about that from Master Telus." Roxanne declared. "He said he was a general in that war, fighting to protect Glenhaven."

"Indeed." Voden nodded. "The Twilight War lasted about eight years. Around the last few years, a lot of the dark dragon were wiped out, with only a few remaining. It looked like they were going to surrender. However, within the last year, they all suddenly vanished!"

"They vanished?" Nellie asked. "How?"

"We don't know. Many light dragons went searching for them, but never found a trace. Entire villages were completely empty, with no notes from survivors or anything else. But most peculiar of all, was the disappearance of the most powerful dragon of our time: the _black_ dragon."

"Black dragon?" Marble repeated. "What's a black dragon?"

"Black dragons are one of the rarest breeds in history. Born at the crux between light and darkness, they are blessed with the ability to wield ALL elements simultaneously."

"Like Lord Spyro?" Jorge asked.

"In a way, yes. But while black dragons have the ability to wield all known elements, none have ever had the same level of power as Lord Spyro. The first black dragon of the new age was Spyro and Cynder's son, Nexius. Nexius made his home in Warfang. He had a son who was also a black dragon, and over time, each member of the family line was trained under Spyro and Cynder, to ensure that they used their powers for good. But that's a topic for another day."

"Why didn't the black dragons do something during the Twilight War?"

"Another good question. Black dragons were never seen in battle. They seemed to vanish along with the dark dragons. To this day, nobody knows what happened to the dark dragons. Some say they were all killed. Others believe they left to live in another land. But as for me, _I_ think they're still here, living among us in secret."

"Wouldn't someone have spotted them by now?" Jorge asked. "Dark magic can't be an easy thing to hide, since most _normal_ dragons can only use a single light element."

"It's quite the mystery, yes." Voden nodded. "But alas, I can't claim to know the answer." Voden looked around at the class. "Now then, I want everyone to open their textbooks to page 150 and begin lesson 1. I want each of you to answer questions 1 through 5 on page 165 and turn them in tomorrow morning..."

As everyone began opening their books, Rune stared down at his parchment. He couldn't bring himself to lift his quill again.

"Rune, are you sure you're alright?" Nellie asked.

"I'm just thinking." Rune said. 

"No talking, please." Voden said. "Focus on your work."

Nellie immediately rushed to open her textbook, while Rune slowly reached for his. Everything he heard Voden say raced around in his mind. Wars, dark dragons in hiding, unnatural elements. And dragons who can wield many elements, just like Lord Spyro.

Rune hid a forepaw under his desk and looked down at it. After concentrating for a moment, a tiny spark of lightning jumped from talon to talon.

Rune took a deep breath. _I've got to keep it together..._


	4. Act 1, Chapter 3

Before Rune realized it, the bell rang. That meant it was the start of the fifteen-minute free period between classes. As his classmates rushed out the door, Rune packed his belongings and approached Voden's desk. He was soon joined by Nellie and Roxanne. Rune glanced over his shoulder at Roxanne and smiled. When the yellow dragoness noticed this, she smiled back and stepped closer to him. Rune blushed and advanced his pace towards Voden's desk. He heard her giggle as he moved ahead.

Rune reached into his satchel and retrieved a scroll of answered review questions. He placed it on the desk before the Guardian, who picked it up and looked it over.

"You sure are a fast little worker." Voden chuckled.

"Well, I like to learn about history." Rune nodded.

"That makes two of us." Voden said. "Well then, I'll leave you to go with your sister and your sweetheart."

"S-Sweetheart?" Rune repeated. He turned his head to see Nellie and Roxanne walking out the door. Roxanne had slowed down to wait for Rune to come with them. She fluttered her wings and smiled at him again. Rune's face flushed red as a tomato.

"Are you alright, lad?" Voden asked.

"Oh, I'm fine." Rune said.

"Well then, have a good day, Rune." Voden winked.

"You too, sir."

"And try to relax a little, okay?"

"Okay..." He turned and walked out the door with the two girls.

Rune, Nellie and Roxanne blended in with the crowd of other students in the hallway. As they walked, Rune took a moment to take a deep breath.

"Hey, Roxanne?" Rune asked.

"Yeah?" She looked at him.

"Once school is over, do you... uh.."

"What, Rune?"

He took another breath. "Do you want to come hang out with us at the Library?"

"Of course, Runey!" Roxanne's eyes beamed. She leaned over and nuzzled his forehead, making him blush again. Nellie chuckled as she watched them.

"H-Hey." Rune said. "Not in front of everybody, Roxanne."

"Yeah, cut it out." A voice snapped. "Nobody wants to see you two gushing like that."

Rune looked over to see two dragons approaching, one blue and one brown. It was Vaun and Aaron, two of Roxanne's friends. Despite his large size, Aaron was very quiet. Vaun did most of the talking between the pair. They came from the same neighborhood as Roxanne, though Rune didn't talk to them very much.

Rune stepped a bit away from Roxanne and tried to regain some composure. "H-Hi."

"Roxanne, why do you hang out with these two?" Vaun asked her.

"They're just as much my friends as you guys are, Vaun." Roxanne said. "I wish you'd all get along."

"They're not like us, Roxy." Vaun shook his head. "Everyone knows that Guardians' kids get everything gift-wrapped for them."

"Well..." Rune started to stay something, but Nellie jumped in front of him.

"Hey, that's not true!" Nellie snapped. "We work just as hard to get through grades as any other student!"

"Sure you do." Vaun scoffed. "I wouldn't expect any other response from a pampered dragon. Right, Aaron?" He looked up at Aaron.

Aaron's eyes darted this way and that, as if searching for an answer. All he could muster was a quiet nod. Vaun looked back forwards and smirked, as if that was all the confirmation he needed that he was right. Roxanne merely frowned in pity at Aaron before addressing Vaun again.

"Come on, you don't have to be like that. Just because they're rich doesn't make them jerks."

"Yeah!" Nellie shouted. "We've earned our training! Right, Rune?"

"Uh..." Rune stammered. He couldn't muster up the courage to say anything as Vaun and Nellie went back and forth. Roxanne tried to mediate, but wasn't getting anywhere. Rune looked up at Aaron. The earth dragon felt just as awkward as him.

 _Water dragons sure do get passionate about their arguments_. Rune rolled his eyes. He noticed that the students were filing out of the hallway, making them quieter. Rune spotted the familiar forms of Hontus and Seraph rounding a corner. He reached out and poked Nellie's flank. "Nellie...?"

"...And they're going to earn it, too!" She finished saying.

"Nellie!" Rune shouted.

"Huh?" She looked back at him. "What?"

"What's going on here?" Hontus demanded.

All of the young dragons had their eyes wide in surprise. They turned around to face the Guardian and his wife.

"Oh, S-Sir Hontus!" Vaun exclaimed, bowing his head. His hind leg kicked Aaron, signaling for him to do the same.

"Why are you kids arguing in the middle of the hallway?" Seraph asked.

"We were just, uh, talking, Mom." Nellie said.

"Well quit talking and get to class." Hontus scolded.

"Yes, Sir." Roxanne and Vaun said together, while Aaron bowed again. The trio turned to rush off to their classes, but not before Roxanne whispered into Rune's ear frill.

"I'll see you later."

"Okay..." Rune whispered back with a smile.

"Rune, Nellie, let's go." Seraph said. "It's finally time to speak to the Elders."

Rune's eyes blinked. He had almost forgotten about that. Suddenly he felt butterflies in his stomach.

"Rune?" Nellie asked, prodding his flank. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." He said slowly. "I'm... I'm ready to go see them, guys."

Hontus and Seraph exchanged concerned glances before turning around to go back down the hallway. Hontus looked down at the younglings. "Come along, kids."

~~...~~

As the bell rang to signal the start of the second period, Rune found himself with his family in the Guardians' Chamber. He didn't have to worry about being absent from class; he was lucky that his second period happened to be in Hontus's Fire Training class. But he still dreaded talking about his dreams with the Elders.

Telus had returned from training Blankridge and Emerald, and now sat between Attonita and Krystallos. Rune and Nellie sat behind the Pool of Visions, while Hontus and Seraph were on either side of them.

"I thank you for your patience." The old drake said.

"You're welcome, Elder." Hontus bowed his head.

"Now, what is the matter with young Rune? What has happened?"

The butterflies in Rune's stomach almost took command of his body. He wanted to flee as fast as he could. But then Nellie nudged him forwards.

"Go on, Rune. Tell them." She said.

"Okay..." He whispered to her. Rune took a step forwards and took a long breath. He spoke loudly and clearly. "For the past three nights, I've been having strange nightmares."

"Strange? Strange how?" Attonita asked.

"The nightmares have been causing him to cry out in his sleep." Nellie answered. "Each time, he's screaming as if he were... burning."

"Oh my." Krystallos's eyes widened.

Rune felt someone drape a wing over him. He looked up to see Seraph on the verge of tears. He grasped her wing and gave it a hug. This seemed to make her feel better.

"The screaming has only gotten worse each night." Nellie continued.

Telus exchanged glances with the other elders. He stood up in his seat and looked down at Rune.

"Do you happen to remember what happens in these nightmares?" Rune looked away. He thought for a moment, his eyes darting about this way and that. "Rune?"

"Well..." He stammered. "...I remember... being in the middle of a forest... in the middle of the night..." The Elders listened intently as Rune went on. "As I try to make my way through... I suddenly hear something ahead of me. It's... a dragoness, whimpering in pain. the forest far ahead is burning. Her face is covered by her wing. When I approach, she reveals her face, and... the flames consume the forest."

Rune shivered as the ending to the nightmare replayed over and over in his head.

"Is that all, Rune?" Krystallos asked.

"Her face..." He said. "I can't remember who she is, but I feel like I've met her before."

The Elders grimaced. The looked between each other, hoping the others would find the answer. Rune just sat back on his haunches, letting Seraph hug him with a wing again. He welcomed the hug; Seraph had always been the shoulder he could cry on in hard times. Before long, Attonita stepped up to speak.

"It's possible that the nightmares are a manifestation of memories of a traumatic event in your past. You could be remembering things about how you became orphaned."

"But I was found alone in the desert." Rune said. "The only forests I know about are on the northern continent. How could I have been there?"

"We don't know Rune." Krystallos frowned. "We're all sorry."

"What can we do to help him?" Hontus asked.

"Hmm..." Telus scratched his chin with a talon. "Did anything happen recently that could've caused you to have these nightmares?"

"Nothing I can think of, really." Rune frowned.

"If that's so, then there's little we can do to help you." Attonita frowned. "You could try keeping a dreamstone nearby to keep the nightmares from surfacing again, but that's not a permanent solution to your problem. If we knew the cause of this, I could do more."

"Alright..." Rune said glumly." What's a dreamstone?"

"A dreamstone is something you keep on your bedside while you rest." Krystallos answered. "If you have nightmares, the dreamstone will absorb the dreams into itself. They were fairly common some time ago."

"Ah, we can look for one in the marketplace." Seraph smiled. She gave Rune a small hug. "We'll head there after school, okay?"

"Okay..." Rune nodded.

"The children should head off to class." Telus said to Hontus and Seraph.

"Yes, Sir." Hontus nodded. "Let's go, kids."

"Hold on, Sir Hontus." Telus said. "I'd like to speak with you for a moment alone."

"But Sir, I have a class to teach." Hontus frowned. "I've delayed long enough as it is."

"This won't take up too much of your time, Hontus."

"Very well, Elder." Hontus turned to face his family. "Go ahead without me."

Seraph nuzzled Hontus's face. "I'll see you later, dear."

"Thank you for your time, Elders." Rune and Nellie bowed their heads and turned to leave.

"We wish you the best of luck, Rune." Attonita called to him.

Rune, Nellie and Seraph walked through the doors. Seraph stepped forwards and looked down at her children.

"Can you two get to class okay on your own?" She asked.

"I have Ancient Symbols class with Roxanne." Nellie said. "I can get to it just fine."

"I'm supposed to go to Fire Training." Rune said. "But I guess everyone in class will be goofing off until Hontus gets there." He chuckled lightly.

"Alright. Your father and I will pick you up after school so we can head to the marketplace, okay?"

"Okay, Mom."

"Okay, Seraph."

Seraph smiled. She planted kisses on both of their foreheads. "Be good today."

Rune watched as Seraph and Nellie walked down separate corridors. He was about to head off to his classroom, when curiosity got the better of him. He turned around and looked up at the doorway to the Elders' Chamber. Why would they want to talk to Hontus alone so suddenly? Rune looked between the two guards. They watched his every move. There was no way they'd like him go back in uninvited. With a sigh, Rune made his way to Fire Training class.

 _I should just relax,_ He told himself. _I'm certain my nightmare problems will be gone by the end of the day..._

~~...~~

Roxanne sat near the back of the room in Ancient Symbols class. The teacher was Guardian Zecht, an ice dragon. Nellie showed up about fifteen minutes late, but with an excuse that she was speaking to the Elders with her family. A few of the students around Roxanne figured Nellie had messed up somehow. Nellie certainly had a look of concern about her as she did her work.

 _I wonder what happened at that meeting_ , Roxanne bit her lower lip.

Roxanne had a relatively decent time in Ancient Symbols class. It wasn't her best subject; that honor went to Economics class. It wasn't as extravagant as her lightning training, but it was important to her nonetheless.

After the second period ended, all of the younglings left the classrooms to move on. Roxanne waited to walk alongside Nellie. The blue dragoness put on a smile as she walked by the door.

"Hey, Roxy." She said.

"Hi, Nellie." Roxanne replied, following her into the hallway. "Are you doing alright?"

"Yeah, why?" Nellie frowned.

"You just seemed a little down, is all." Roxanne patted Nellie on the back with a wing.

"Oh, I'm just a little concerned about you-know-who." Nellie nodded.

"Is he okay?" Roxanne asked, her wings fluttering. "Were the Elders able to help him out?"

"Well, kind of..." Nellie said. "I don't quite have the time to explain it. I'll tell you about it later."

"If you say so." Roxanne shrugged. She did her best to hide her disappointment behind a smile. At least she'd find out what happened later.

The two girls walked to the end of the hallway and moved to part ways. Roxanne fluttered her wings as she turned right.

"I'll see you after school." Roxanne said.

"Okay. Bye!" Nellie nodded before turning to the left.

Roxanne skipped happily down the hallway towards her locker. Walking and talking with Nellie ate up a bit of her free time, but luckily her Economics class was right across from her locker. Once Roxanne reached her locker, she fished around inside to get her scrolls and textbook.

Roxanne kept all of her textbooks organized based on size and color of the cover. Her scrolls were neatly stacked in a pile in the corner, and her training armor was hung on hooks at the top. Most of her belongings were scratched, torn, or dog-eared with frequent use. But Roxanne was lucky, and happy, to have whatever her parents could afford.

"Hey." A voice said from behind her locker door.

"Huh?" Roxanne took her head out of her locker. Vaun and Aaron had come from the opposite hallway to greet her. Vaun had his air of refined confidence, while Aaron looked sheepish and awkward.

"Oh, hey guys." Roxanne smiled.

"Roxanne, do you still have that scroll that I asked you to look over?" Vaun asked. "I need it for third period."

"Sure, it's right here..." Roxanne picked Vaun's scroll out from the top of the scroll-pile. "I've marked down all the things that need changing so you can get a better grade."

Vaun took the scroll and opened it up to read it. He grinned and closed it up again.

"Thanks, Roxy. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here." He said with a wag of his tail.

"...Fail...?" Aaron asked in a whisper. It was usually the loudest he'd speak.

"That's not funny, Aaron." Vaun snapped. Aaron bent his head and looked away.

"...Sorry..." He muttered.

"Oh, it's alright, you bug lummox." Vaun said. He reached up and patted the large boy on the shoulder.

Roxanne rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but break out into a smirk. These two had been the same since their preschool days. She was always helping them out and keeping them out of trouble. She was even considered the "boss" of their little "gang of misfits".

"Hey, Roxy," Vaun turned back around, "Do you want to come hang out with us by the pond after school?"

"I can't, sorry." Roxanne shook her head. "I'm going to be spending the afternoon hanging out with-"

"Oh, don't tell me you're spending the day with **them**!" Vaun exclaimed. "You're always hanging out with those rich kids nowadays."

"Sorry, Vaun." Roxanne frowned. "You-Know-Who asked me directly. I just couldn't pass up an opportunity like that."

"I just don't see what you see in that guy, Roxy." Vaun frowned.

"Well, he's not like any other dragon I've met." Roxanne giggled.

"What do you mean by that?" Vaun asked, tapping his forepaw. "He's barely more talkative than Aaron. No offense, Aaron."

The earth dragon mumbled something Roxanne couldn't here. She sighed and reorganized her belongings.

"Well, he may seem like a fire dragon on the surface..." Roxanne said. "But he can do things no other fire dragon can."

"Like what?" Vaun raised an eye ridge.

"It's a secret." Roxanne winked.

"Are you kidding me, Roxy?!" Vaun exclaimed. "Why even bother mentioning that Rune has something special if you're not going to say what it is?!"

"Hey, take it easy, Vaun." Roxanne said. She closed her locker and turned around. "I'm just playing around."

"Yeah, sure..." Vaun sighed. "Well, can we at least hang out again tomorrow?"

"Well..." Roxanne started. Aaron gave her the biggest puppy-dog eyes she'd ever seen from him. "Well, alright, guys. We'll hang out like old times tomorrow after school."

Aaron smiled. He stepped forwards and gave Roxanne a bear hug. She flinched as her forelegs were crushed in his grip.

"Aaron... Aaron..." Roxanne tapped on his shoulder with her tail. "Back it up, big guy."

Aaron sheepishly leg go and stepped back. Vaun patted him on the shoulder and smiled at Roxanne.

"Well, we need to hurry on off to class; the free period's almost over." Vaun pointed Aaron towards the other end of the hallway. "See you at lunch?"

"Sure." Roxanne chuckled. "Buy guys!"

Vaun and Aaron hurried down the hallway as Roxanne stepped into her economics class...

~~...~~

Hontus didn't appear to teach the Fire Training class; another Guardian stepped in to substitute. Rune didn't see much more of Hontus all day. Was he still talking with the Elders?

When the final bell rang, all the students flooded into the halls. Rune and Nellie left their final classes and met up on the way to the front gates. Blankridge, Emerald and Roxanne soon joined them as they made their way to the front gates.

"Hey, guys." Blankridge grinned. His scales had been washed clean of grime.

"How was training?" Nellie asked.

"It went great!" Blankridge grinned. "Elder Telus said we passed!"

"We weren't perfect, though." Emerald frowned. "I'll have to try harder next time."

"I'm sure you'll impress him next time." Roxanne smiled.

Emerald glared. "You don't have to patronize me."

"S-Sorry." Roxanne frowned.

"What about you, Rune?" Blankridge asked. "Feeling any better?"

"Oh, y-yeah." Rune said. "Hontus and Seraph are taking us to the marketplace today. We're going to be looking for something called a dreamstone."

"Whatstone?" Blankridge asked.

"Dreamstone." Emerald said. "They're quite uncommon."

"Yeah..." Rune nodded. "They're supposed to help out with nightmares.

"Aww." Roxanne gave Rune a hug. "You've been having nightmares? I wish I could help."

Rune flushed red again. "Th-Thanks, Roxy."

Before long, Rune and his friends walked through the front gates. He saw Hontus and Seraph waiting for him and his siblings. The students were parting to get out of their way. Seraph smiled warmly, but Hontus seemed uneasy.

"Hey, Kids." Hontus said.

Nellie walked up and hugged his foreleg. "Hi, Dad."

"Are you all ready to go?" He asked.

"Uh-huh." Rune nodded.

"Yeah." Blankridge smirked. But before he took another step, Emerald glared at him. He grimaced and spoke up again. "Uh, Dad?"

"Yes, kiddo?"

"Can I, uh, hang out with Emerald at the library?" He asked. "I kind of... promised to help her out with her books."

"Who's going to supervise you?" Seraph asked.

"Remus will be there, Milady." Emerald said.

"I suppose that's well enough..." Hontus scratched his chin. "Very well, Blankridge; you can spend time with Emerald. Just make sure you don't leave until we come get you."

"Thanks Dad." Blankridge hugged Hontus's other foreleg. He let go and looked at Emerald. "Let's go!"

"Not so fast..." A voice said from behind the group. Hontus and the younglings turned to face the newcomer.

The guards stood tall as a thin, yellow dragon walked out of the palace. Two thin, cream-colored horns bent downwards on the back of his head. His electric-blue mane was tied back in thick braids. He was dressed in dark-silver armor, engraved with the Guardians' symbol.

"Captain Jules" Hontus bowed his head. "Good day, sir."

Jules walked up, looking the group over with his sea-green eyes. He focused on Hontus and glared. "Why aren't you at your post?"

"The Elders have given me the afternoon off." Hontus said. "One of my kids needs something important from the market today. But I'll be reporting in for a late shift tonight."

"The Elders gave you the afternoon off?" Jules sneered. "I don't recall being informed of this."

"It's a bit of an emergency, sir. You can speak to Elder Telus about the details."

"Is that so?" Jules eyed the younglings. He spotted Emerald and snorted. "Emerald, what are you doing out here?"

Emerald frowned. "I was just on my way to the library, Daddy. I was going to bring my friend Blankridge with me."

"Blankridge?" Jules glared at the orange youngling. "You better stay in line when around my daughter, boy."

"Uh, yes sir." Blankridge gulped.

Jules looked back at Hontus. "Whatever it is you're doing, I expect you to be back on time when you're done. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Captain." Hontus nodded.

"Good. You're dismissed." Jules turned back around and strolled into the palace. Once he was gone, Emerald looked around at the others.

"Please behave yourself at the library, Blankridge." Seraph said. "You know what happened last time."

"I know, I know." Blankridge pouted. "It was just an accident..."

"The carriage is waiting, Blank." Emerald said. She looked at Rune and Nellie. "I'll see you two later."

"Bye!" Rune and Nellie waved.

"Uh, yeah, bye." Roxanne said quietly.

Rune watched as Blankridge and Emerald glided down to the waiting carriage. He then looked over at the frowning Roxanne. Emerald had always behaved like a friend of a friend, and she wasn't always the nicest towards Roxanne. Rune decided to step up and give Roxanne a hug with his wing. Roxanne gasped, but then smiled with a light flush. Hontus and Seraph chuckled at the sight.

"You two are so sweet together." Seraph said.

Rune backed up from Roxanne. "Do you still want to hang out today?"

"Yes, but didn't you say we were going to the library?"

"We'll be heading there after we're done with the market." Hontus said. "Do you parents know where you're going?"

"My parents know that I spend time around town before heading home. But I have to be back before dinner."

"Well then, would you like to spend time with us until you head home?"

"Yes, Sir Hontus." Roxanne smiled. She looked at Rune and nudged his flank. Rune flushed again.

"In that case, let's all get going." Seraph said.

"Yeah..." Rune said.

The five dragons spread their wings to take off into flight.

~~...~~

A large town square sat in the center of the marketplace, which was reserved for large festivals and special occasions. The square was surrounded by an assortment of bakeries, inns and taverns. A long road ran through the square and towards the north. Crowds of people made their way through the square, all searching for goods and services. Curiously, a number of nomadic carriages were there as well.

Rune and his family came to a landing on the eastern side of the marketplace, right where it connected to the grasslands.

"Where should we begin looking?" Rune asked as he stretched out his back.

"Well, we can try searching over by the flea market." Seraph said. "I'd prefer not to spend too much on something if we can avoid it."

"Okay." Rune shrugged.

"The flea market it is, then." Hontus nodded.

The group spent a few hours wandering through the flea market. During that time, they asked every shop if they carried dreamstone. Over time, it became apparent that hardly any of them had ever _heard_ of dreamstones, let alone carry them.

But it wasn't a complete loss. For after searching the flea market, Rune focused on one of the nomadic carriages. One of them had set up shop, selling various wares and knick-knacks.

Rune tugged at Hontus's flank and pointed. "Hey, how about over there?"

"Hmm?" Hontus looked towards the carriage. "Oh. Sure, any place is worth trying."

Rune and his family approached the strange carriage. While he wasn't paying attention, Roxanne nuzzled him again.

"Roxy, quit it." He whispered. "Not where everyone can see."

"Don't you like me?" Roxanne pouted.

"I do, I do." He said. "It's just..."

Hontus broke Rune's attention by ringing a small bell on the makeshift counter before the carriage. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

The side door opened up, revealing a slender ice dragon in nomadic robes. He stepped up to the counter, eyeing Rune and company through a ragged white mane.

"Greetings." He said quietly. "What can I do for your family today?"

"Hello." Hontus said. "My son noticed that you're selling a wide variety of strange trinkets. I was wondering if you happened to sell any dreamstones."

"Dreamstones?" The ice drake repeated. He looked away, muttering to himself in thought. Listening closely, Rune detected that it wasn't the common tongue he spoke in. It was a funny, made-up language, or so it sounded. How strange...

"Uh, sir?" Hontus asked worriedly. "Did I offend you?"

"No, it's fine. I was just... Thinking over my stock. Give me a moment..." The merchant looked behind his counter, shuffling some things around. Rune exchanged awkward glances with Nellie and Roxanne. Before long, the ice dragon stood upright again. "Here it is."

The dragon placed a large sapphire on the counter, just barely above Rune's line of vision. A small tendril of smoke seemed to dance about the surface of the sapphire.

"Here's one dreamstone." The ice dragon said. "Just bear in mind that they're hard to forge and require some maintenance for proper use."

"That's just fine, sir." Hontus said. "How much will it cost?"

"Twenty blue gems." The merchant answered.

"Twenty? That seems a bit much?" Seraph frowned.

"They're not easy to make, you know." The merchant said. "I have to make a living somehow."

"It's fine." Hontus said. He retrieved his currency-purse and retrieved the gems. "If my boy needs it for his nightmares, I'll get him one."

"That dreamstone won't work forever, sir." The ice drake said as he pushed the sapphire forwards. "The dreamstone will absorb the energy of bad dreams, but it had an upper limit. If too many nightmares happen, then the energy will overflow and all spill into his mind. A magician would need to empty it regularly."

"I have a friend who can do that." Hontus placed the gems before the merchant.

"Well in any case, it's a pleasure to do business with you." The merchant said. "Enjoy your dreamstone!"

"Have a nice day." Hontus nodded. He turned around and placed the sapphire before Rune. "Here you go, kiddo."

"Thanks, Hontus." Rune smiled meekly. He didn't exactly want it, but he accepted it anyway.

"Make sure you take care of it." Seraph said.

"I will." Rune put the dreamstone in his satchel.

As Rune's family walked away from the carriage, Rune looked back at the merchant. The icy drake was slowly walking into his carriage, still muttering under his breath in that strange language. Rune would have kept looking, but Nellie nudged him forwards...

~~...~~

With the search finally over, Rune was starting to feel tired. Hontus lead the way back to the area everyone landed by earlier. Rune stretched out his back and yawned lowly.

"Are you alright, Rune?" Nellie asked.

"I'm fine." He said. "I just need a bit of rest."

"Maybe we could all use a breather." Hontus chuckled. "You kids should sit down for a while."

"Okay..." Rune fell back onto his haunches beneath a tree to catch his breath. Nellie and Roxanne said down beside him. The trio put their satchels down beside the tree. "Well, at least we found the dreamstone. Thank you again, Hontus."

"You're welcome, kiddo." The guardian smiled.

"Make sure you take real good care of it, okay?" Seraph asked.

"I will, don't worry."

A low grumble sounded nearby. Rune looked towards Nellie, who giggled. "Sorry. I guess I'm getting kind of hungry."

Rune felt his own stomach grumble. "Me too."

"I'm fine, but I could eat." Roxanne grinned.

Nellie turned towards Hontus and Seraph. "Mom, Dad, can we go get something to eat?"

"Sure." Seraph smiled. What would you kids like?"

"How about sheep?" Rune suggested.

"We had lamb chops this morning." Nellie said. "I'm not in the mood for more right now."

"Okay..." Rune glanced down at the river a short distance away. A small school of salmon was swimming along the current. "Hey, how about some fish?"

"Fish?" Nellie followed Rune's gaze. "You mean those?"

"Yeah, why not? I haven't had fish in a while. I'll go get some." Rune took a few steps towards the river, only for Nellie to grab his tail. "Hey!"

"Hold your horses, Rune. I'll handle it."

Rune looked back at her with an eye ridge raised. "You sure about that?"

"Of course. No offense, but _I'm_ the water dragon here. It won't be hard for me to get some fish."

Seraph sighed. "Oh, Nellie, you goof..."

Rune rolled his eyes. "If you say so."

Nellie approached the riverbank, standing at the very edge. She spent a moment watching the salmon as they flowed along the way. When a pair of fish swam within range, Nellie dove into the water, making a grab for them with her muzzle. She used her magic to form a solid wall of ice to block off the oncoming current. With the flow on the other side reduced to a shallow level, Nellie chased after the salmon, which at this point were swimming away from the dragoness with great haste. She thrashed about with vigor, but the fish kept narrowly escaping.

"Hold still!" She protested.

While Nellie wasn't paying attention, the pressure of the water against the ice grew heavier and heavier, until cracks formed in the sides.

"Nellie, I think you might want to get out of there now." Hontus said worriedly. "Your ice is..."

"I'm not done, Dad!" Nellie exclaimed.

"Nellie, dear, the ice wall!" Seraph shouted.

The frozen wall shattered to pieces. Nellie howled in surprise as the current shoved her over. She angrily burst out of the river as salmon swam past her. Rune chuckled as the dragoness got back onto the grass. Roxanne covered her muzzle with a paw to hide her giggling. Rune stood back as Nellie shook herself to dry off. She used her magic to force the water off her scales and into the grass.

"Good work, Nellie." He chided.

"It's not funny." She pouted, wiping her face off with a paw. "Stupid fish!"

Seraph stepped up and leaned her head down to Nellie. "Nellie, it's not a big deal. You just need to be more mindful of your magic. The effect loses strength if you're not paying attention."

Nellie pouted. "Fine, Mom..."

"Why don't I just go buy ourselves some fish instead?" Hontus asked. "Come with me back to the market. You can even pick out the kind you want."

"Fine." She said with a grumble.

"There's no need for that." Rune said. "I'm sure I could-"

"I've got it covered, kiddo." Hontus said. "Do you all want to come along?"

"I'd rather stay here." Rune said.

"Me too!" Roxanne exclaimed.

Seraph looked between the two younglings, and then back at Hontus. "I'll come along too. I'm sure we won't be gone long."

"Alrighty." Hontus looked down at Rune. "We'll be right back, you two!"

"Okay." Rune and Roxanne waved the others off as they returned to the marketplace. Rune was alone with Roxanne.

Rune looked back at the river. He really wanted some of that salmon, and it would've made much more sense to catch it and cook it himself for free instead of letting Hontus waste his gems on the same fish.

 _I don't get why Nellie needs to act like I'm helpless_ , he sneered. _I can handle things a lot better than she realizes..._

"Hey, Rune." Roxanne whispered.

"What, Rox-" Rune spoke in his normal tone, but Roxanne shushed him.

"Don't be too loud." She whispered again.

Rune shrugged and whispered as well. "What is it?"

"We're alone now. Do you think you have time to..." Roxanne motioned to the riverbank with her snout. "Show me that magic again?"

"Huh...?" Slowly, realization dawned on Rune. There was something Rune could do. Something he had kept a secret to all but Roxanne. He was afraid of what people might think if they saw a fire dragon... doing magic other than fire.

Rune looked around. Hontus, Seraph and Nellie were long gone, and there wasn't anyone else in sight. He and Roxanne were alone. Rune looked back at the river, watching the salmon as they continued downstream. He squinted his eyes and concentrated on the fish.

A moment later, his eyes glowed bright blue.

A small chunk of water surrounding tree salmon suddenly rose up above the river. The water formed into a tight, makeshift "bowl" for the fish. Roxanne clapped her paws in delight as the bowl levitated across the surface of the water towards Rune. Once the sphere was above dry land, Rune's eyes returned to normal. The water fell down to the grass, the salmon flopping madly about on the ground. Rune frowned at the sight of them struggling for breath they couldn't reach. Shutting his eyes, Rune lifted his forepaws up and smacked them down upon the fish. They soon lay lifeless before him.

"That's so cool, Rune." Roxanne smiled.

Rune only sighed. He was about to use his fire breath to cook the fish, when he heard someone approaching from behind.

 _Oh no!_

Thinking quickly, Rune jumped straight into the water. He shivered at the icy cold sting of the water. Roxanne yelped as she jumped out of the way. Rune flailed his limbs about wildly, going out of his way to splash water in all directions. He heard someone gasp in surprise.

"Rune!"

He sighed in relief; it was only Nellie. Rune climbed out of the riverbank. Nellie ran up to him as he shook his limbs off. Hontus and Seraph followed close behind. Seraph was carrying a set of catfish in her satchel. Rune's family was shocked to see him drenched.

"Hey guys." Rune said, shaking his mane.

"Rune, what happened?" Hontus asked.

"Uh..." He stammered.

"Rune wanted to try to get the salmon on his own." Roxanne said.

"Y-Yeah!" Rune quickly said. "And look! I did it!"

Rune held up the salmon he caught. Nellie rolled her eyes. "Rune, you didn't have to do this."

"Well, I wanted the salmon!" Rune snapped.

"Don't fight over this, you two." Hontus scolded. "We have plenty the food now. Rune, you can half your salmon, while Nellie and Roxanne can have catfish."

"Okay. Let's just eat."

Hontus used his fire breath to cook the fish, and the three ate to their hearts' content. During that time, Rune glanced back at the riverbank. He was worried, if for only a moment, that his secret had been revealed. He could almost hear the gasps and shouts in horror. He took a deep breath, pushing away the thoughts with a shudder.

"You okay?" Roxanne whispered.

"Huh?" Rune glanced at her. "Yeah, I'm alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"If you say so, Rune."

Rune tried to keep the terrifying thoughts out of his head as he ate.

 _This magic... it's so weird. Why am I able to do these things? What would everyone think? Sure, Roxanne likes it, but what about Hontus and Seraph? Or the Elders? What would they all think about me?_

"Listen, kids." Hontus said. "I've got to report back to the palace soon. Once we're done eating, how about I drop you both off at the library?"

"Okay, Dad." Nellie smiled.

"Yes, Sir Hontus." Roxanne chirped.

"Alright..." Rune said.

 _Everything will be fine. Maybe the nightmares will be over soon. Then everything can go back to normal. I'm a fire dragon, nothing more._

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I've always had an enjoyment with depicting the happy-go-lucky shenanigans of younglings in a temple-like setting. It's fun to see the youngling characters of my series going about things that SEEM like big deals... but by the later parts of the story everything has been put into a new perspective. Maybe that's just part of growing up for young dragons. Well, I hope you've enjoyed the series so far.

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	5. Act 1, Chapter 4

After everyone ate lunch, Hontus brought Rune and his family to the Glenhaven Library.

The library was one of the largest buildings in Glenhaven, second only to the palace. It stood five stories tall and was built of the sturdiest marble. Several columns decorated the outer walls. Sculpted dragons appeared to hold the building's walls up.

Rune eagerly hopped up the steps ahead of the others. He loved coming here to read after classes ended. There was just so much for him to read about. As Rune reached the top of the steps, he heard Nellie and Roxanne racing after him. They were laughing as they leaped and bounded up several stairs.

"Girls, be careful!" Seraph called after them from the bottom.

"Sorry, Mom." Nellie came to a quick stop, but Roxanne kept going. She reached the top and gave a triumphant chirp.

Rune rolled his eyes and chuckled lowly at Roxanne's antics. He then looked back down at Seraph, who was nuzzling Hontus's face and talking into his ear frill. He couldn't figure out what they were saying, but he had a feeling it involved Hontus reporting back to the palace. He guess was confirmed when the big orange drake flapped his wings to take off.

"I'll see you kids later!" Hontus called down.

"Bye!" Rune and Nellie waved to Hontus as he flew away. Seraph reached the top of the stairs by then and nudged the younglings forwards. Rune pushed the door open to let the dragonesses in before him.

The front lobby of the library was on the ground level. It opened up to a massive cylindrical formation. Five floors rose up higher, and five more went below ground. Each level had a railing to prevent patrons from falling down, but the archways were tall enough for dragons to fly through. A large spiral staircase connected all the floors for the benefit of patrons who can't fly.

Rune and the others approached the front desk, which was staffed by the lightning dragon librarian, Jonas. Jonas was reviewing scrolls of some kind with a quill pen. A female wolf assistant stood behind him, reviewing a catalogue.

"Greetings, Sir Jonas." Seraph said with bowed head. Jonas stopped his quill and looked up at her with a disinterested face.

"Lady Seraph." He grunted. Jonas looked down at Rune and the girls. Rune awkwardly scratched the back of his head with a thumb-talon. Rune noticed Nellie and Roxanne stepping back with uncomfortable faces. Despite their many visits, Jonas not any more pleasant.

"We'll be staying here for an hour or so." Seraph said. "I hope you don't mind."

Jonas gave Seraph a grouchy look. He put his quill down and clasped his forepaws together. "If I've told you and Sir Hontus once, I've told you a million times: This is a _library_ , not a daycare center."

"My children always behave themselves when they're here." Seraph said, wrapping a wing around Nellie.

"Those two, maybe. But that other little brat of yours..." A shiver seemed to creep up the large drake's spine. He put a forepaw to his forehead, growling under his breath. "It took me THREE WEEKS to clean all that soot out!"

Seraph bit her lip in hesitation. "If Blankridge is already here, I'll see to it that he behaves himself. And besides, my husband and I have already paid for the damage."

Jonas snorted. He picked up his quill pen and waved her off. "Fine then. Enjoy your stay, milady."

"Thank you." Seraph walked away from the desk. "Come along, kids."

"Wait a minute, Mom." Nellie walked up and put her forepaws on the desk. "Excuse me, sir?"

"What?" Jonas demanded. Nellie flinched a little, but spoke clearly.

"I was wondering if you could help me find a book about enchantments."

Jonas snorted out his nostrils in irritation. He turned around to lift a large, hardcover book from a shelf to the side. He shifted the pages back and forth for a moment, muttering to himself under his breath, as if doing this was a hindrance to his solitude.

"Fourth floor." He said. "Nonfiction section. The book you're looking for is 'Enchanting Enchanters, Series Two'. Index number 503 BEL."

"Thank you." Nellie flapped her wings and rushed off to find the book.

"Can you help me to, sir?" Roxanne asked, stepping up to the desk. Rune stepped a little out of her way. "I want to find a book about Romance!"

"No shouting." Jonas snapped. Roxanne pouted, her wings dropping. Jonas merely snorted again. "Romance books are on the third floor. But stay away from the adult section."

"Okay, sir!" Roxanne perked up again and rushed off.

"I said no running!" Jonas covered his face with his paw, muttering again. Rune held a wing over his face, trying very hard not to laugh. His laughter suddenly stopped when Jonas glared at him.

"And what about you, boy?" He asked. "What books are YOU looking for?"

"I can manage on my own, sir." Rune stepped back and bowed his head. "Thank you, though."

"Yeah, sure." Jonas rolled his eyes. "That's what you always say, kid. Well, at least you're quiet."

Rune scratched behind his head again before turning around. Seraph said a few more words to Jonas before following behind...

~~...~~

 _Of all the dragons throughout history, it has been said that the greatest and most influential have been Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder. None could have been more powerful or more terrifying than they, for they were the true masters of Light and Darkness. With their powers, they were able to unite the scattered dragons into eight clans, for of light and for of darkness._

"Rune?"

 _And for a time, the Dragon Realms experienced peace and harmony._

"Ruuuuuuuune..."

 _But alas, evil takes many forms in our world. When the world was reshaped, old evils were given new life. And though Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder were there to fight back several times, the presence of evil would linger in the hearts of the wicked. And our Lord and Lady cannot live forever. There is no telling what will happen in the days without Spyro and Cynder..._

The book was rudely swiped away.

"Hey! What gives?" Rune protested. Nellie held the book out of arm's reach, giving Rune a funny look.

"I've been trying to get your attention for at least five minutes." Nellie chuckled. She put the book down in front of Rune and sat down beside him.

Rune took the book back, grumpily fumbling with the pages. "You made me lose my spot."

"I'm sorry." Nellie said. "I just wanted to let you know that I found a book that has some more detailed information about dreamstones. Would you like a look?"

"No thanks." Rune shook his head as he turned to the page he was reading. "I'm perfectly fine reading my own book."

"Oh, okay..." Nellie's features drooped a little, but she shook her head and opened her book.

"What about mine?" Roxanne asked from behind. Rune looked up to see Roxanne sitting down with her own book. She looked at Rune with bright eyes and pointed to the cover. "Check it out! I found a copy of Another Beginning! It's the story of Spyro and Cynder after they saved the world! Oh, it's so romantic, Rune!"

"It is?" Rune asked curiously. "I've never heard of it."

"You haven't?" Roxanne gasped, covering her mouth with her paws. "But it's got great scenes, like how Spyro sweeps Cynder off her feet and proposes to her."

"Uh, okay." Rune shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not sure how accurate that story is to real life." Nellie said. She leaned over the table to get a better look at the romance novel.

"It doesn't have to be accurate to be GOOD." Roxanne said. She held the cover up and pointed to the bottom. "And besides, it was written by Spyro's brother. How could it NOT be accurate?"

"Wasn't Spyro's brother... a dragonfly?"

"That's just a myth!"

As the girls started their debate, Rune picked up his history book and moved around to the other side. Nellie and Roxanne scooted closer to each other to compare and contrast their ideas. Rune sat across from them and sighed in amusement.

Despite Jonas being a tad on the unpleasant side, the library was still one of Rune's favorite hangouts. When he was little, he could only come here on the weekends under Hontus or Seraph's supervision. And he could only read picture-books in the children's section. But as he got older, he started coming here by himself, and read more and more complicated texts and tomes. Most of them were about the great and expansive history of the Dragon Realms. Oh, it made him so happy...

"Hey!" A voice cried out.

Rune looked up from his book and looked behind himself. Nellie and Roxanne stopped their debate and did the same. Seraph appeared from around a corner, along with Blankridge and Emerald. Seraph was carrying Blankridge by the scruff of his neck.

"Moooom!" Blankridge protested, his limbs swinging around. "I'm not a dragonling anymore! Put me down!"

Seraph only rolled her eyes and approached Rune's table. As Emerald walked beside Seraph, she kept her nose stuck into the air. But Rune could tell that Emerald was struggling to surpress a laugh.

Seraph sat Blankridge down beside Nellie and walked over to sit beside Rune. Blankridge rubbed his neck with a scowl while Nellie and Roxanne giggled.

"What did you have to do that for?" Blankridge pouted.

"I told several times not to run around the library." Seraph said, folding one foreleg over the other on the desk. "If you're going to behave like a fussy cub, then I'll have to treat you like one."

Rune knew fully well that Blankridge hated the library for being the exact opposite of everything he liked. Quiet instead of loud, enclosed instead of wide open, and full of rules instead of full of sheep. Rune's thoughts on this were interrupted as Emerald slammed a big heavy tome on the table as she sat beside Roxanne.

"My apologies." She said, adjusting her spectacles.

"Hi, Emmy." Rune smiled as he turned one of his pages. "What's up?"

"Just doing a bit of light reading." Emerald said. She looked over at Nellie and Roxanne, had had quietly resumed their debate. Emerald looked back at Rune. "What's with these two?"

"They're talking about a romance novel about Spyro and Cynder." Rune said. "Were you here with Blank again?"

"Yeah. We need to get to practicing so we can do better at our next training session."

Blankridge slammed his forehead down on the table. "Ugh, I'm so boooooored..."

"You could always entertain yourself by reading, Blankridge." Seraph scolded. "That's what libraries are for."

"They don't have anything that I'd like." Blankridge complained, sticking his tongue out. He covered his eyes with a forepaw.

"Stop being so fussy and just try." Seraph said sternly. She nudged Blankridge with a wing. "There are plenty of books here. I'm sure you'll find something you like."

"And how am I supposed to find something in this great big building?" Blankridge complained.

"I can help you, Blank." Rune said. He closed his book and stood up. Blankridge moved his paw and looked at Rune.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, come on." Rune walked around Seraph and shook the orange drake's shoulder. "I've been here so many times that I know where everything is. I might even find you some tales about heroes or something."

Blankridge thought about it for a moment. He shook his shoulders and stood up from the table. "Alright, bro. Show me the way."

"I don't want you two to be gone for long, alright?" Seraph looked between the two. "I want you boys to stay out of trouble."

"Yeah." Emerald said. "Remember that you're supposed to help me carry my books, Blank."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Hey, wait!" Roxanne exclaimed, finally turning her attention away from Nellie. She hopped up and ran up to Rune and Blankridge. "Can I come too?"

Blankridge gave Roxanne a dubious look. "What for? You've already GOT a book."

"Well, uh..." Roxanne took a step back, her eyes darting this way and that. "I just want to... well..."

Rune gave a slightly-goofy grin. "S-Sure, Roxy. I could help you find a 'romantic' book."

The yellow dragoness chirped happily. She gave Rune a quick hug with her wing before stepping to his side. Rune turned and looked up at Seraph.

"We won't be gone long." He said. "We'll be right back, Seraph."

"Okay See you soon." Seraph nodded and waved him off with a wing. "And keep Blankridge out of trouble."

"I'll try my best."

Rune led the way for Blankridge and Roxanne through the library. In truth, Rune was thinking about finding a book about the Avalar Conflict, which involved a rivalry between the cheetahs and the wolves. But finding books for two of his friends was always a plus. Looking back at the table, Nellie had picked up her Spyro/Cynder debate with Emerald.

As Rune walked along, he looked back several times to keep an eye on Blankridge. The orange drake was very easily distracted. Luckily Roxanne knew this as well, as she poked Blankridge's shoulder whenever he started to wander off. Rune nodded in satisfaction and resumed leading the way But as he rounded a corner, Rune caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of darkish-grey cloth. It disappeared behind two rows of shelves down the way.

 _Those robes..._ Rune stopped in his tracks. He gasped as Blankridge accidentally knocked him over. Roxanne gasped and rushed to help Rune up.

"Rune, what happened?" Roxanne used her head to lift Rune's up.

"Uh..." He stammered. "I thought I saw something."

"What, bro?" Blankridge asked. The orange drake looked this way and that. "Is it something _dangerous_?"

"Maybe?" Rune shrugged. He stepped forwards. "It looked like someone wearing the same robes as those figures at the palace."

"You mean those spooky strangers?" Blankridge grinned. "Sounds like an adventure.

"Blank, don't-" Rune was nearly knocked over again and Blankridge rushed down the hallway. Roxanne kept Rune steady this time.

"I guess we better go after him." Roxanne frowned.

"Yeah. We can't let him get into trouble." Rune and Roxanne hurried after Blankridge.

The stranger had taken up residence in a small reading lobby at the back of the building. Blankridge was watching the stranger from behind a bookshelf. Rune and Roxanne walked at a tip-toe pace to keep from making too much noise.

"Blank..." Rune whispered as he walked up from behind.

"Shh." Blankridge flapped a wing. "Check this guy out."

Roxanne looked around the corner, pursing her lips. Her eyes widened and she stepped back. "He's so weird..."

Curious, Rune looked around the corner as well. He saw the robed dragon sitting at a table. Despite having the same attire, this dragon was clearly much stouter in physique. He was also missing a foot and most of a wing. But the most curious thing about this dragon was what he _did_. He waved his left forepaw in the air, and a book immediately floated in front of him. It opened by itself and quickly turned its own pages, stopping somewhere in the middle. It then floated to the right and was hidden from view by the dragon's bulky frame. The dragon did the same thing with a few more books as he wrote some notes down on a scroll.

Rune couldn't take his eyes off the flying books. He'd never seen such magic before? What element was this? Was it something new to the Dragon Realms? He had to find out more! But how?

"That's some weird stuff, huh?" Blankridge whispered with a grin. Roxanne scooted back about a foot and hid behind the shelf.

"Th-that's so freaky." She shouted under her breath. "How is he making the books fly?"

"I don't know." Rune snuck around to the other side of the bookshelf. "I think he might be a... a dark dragon."

"A dark dragon?" Blankridge's eyes beamed. "That would be so cool."

Rune frantically shushed Blankridge. Roxanne wrapped a forepaw around his muzzle. Blankridge muttered something unintelligible as he fought against Roxanne's grip.

"We don't know anything about him yet." Rune said. "We need to keep watching. So keep it down, okay?"

Blankridge gave a dejected nod for "yes", and Roxanne let go of his muzzle with a smirk. Rune nodded back and resumed watching the figure. The strange dragon just kept reading from his floating books and jotting down notes. Rune couldn't tell what the books were, and it drove him mad. Rune just had to know what was going through the stranger's head. How was he related to the two figures at the palace? Perhaps if Rune just got a little bit closer...

"Hmm?" The strange dragon started.

"Rune!" Roxanne whispered to him hurriedly.

Rune snapped out of it and looked around. Rune had taken several steps forwards towards the stranger. Rune ran as fast as he could to get back behind the cover of the bookshelf. Rune's heart beat like a drum as Roxanne pulled him to the safety of the cover. Blankridge, meanwhile, had ducked his head back in his side and peered through the gap in the shelf.

The strange dragon had gotten up and turned to look around the lobby.

"Albanion?" He asked in a gruff voice. "Elza?" The figure looked left and right, but didn't seem to spot anything.

"Albanion and Elza...?" Rune whispered. "Is that who those two are?"

"How peculiar." The strange scratched his head with a thumb-talon. "I could have sworn..." The dragon shook his head. "Bah. Perhaps this is a good time to leave. They'll be arriving shortly anyhow."

Rune and the others watched from their hiding place as the dragon tidied up. All of the floating books closed themselves and returned to their place of origin. The dragon took the largest book and placed it in his satchel. He then stood up and made his way towards the spiral staircase.

"What a strange dragon." Roxanne pulled Rune close. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Rune's face flushed.

"Why did you walk out into the open like that?" She let him go and stepped back.

"I don't know." Rune looked down at the floor. "Something about his attire, though... it just rings a bell. Like I saw it before I came to Glenhaven."

"Hmmm..." Blankridge sat on his haunches as he watched the strange dragon leave. He rubbed his chin with his wing and had a grin. A mischievous glint was in his eye.

Rune grimaced with worry. _Please tell me you're not thinking what you're ALWAYS thinking..._

"Let's follow him." Blankridge declared.

"What?!" Rune and Roxanne exclaimed. "Why?!"

"Why not?" Blankridge smirked. "That guy obviously isn't a normal dragon. Maybe we'll find out something interesting by following him."

"Blank, I don't think that's a good idea." Roxanne said. She ran up and stood in his path. "Who knows what kind of trouble we'd get into?"

"And besides, I promised Seraph that I'd keep you OUT of trouble." Rune put his paw down."

"Oh, you two need to learn to live a little." Blankridge turned to glance back the way the younglings came. "Plus, there's **no way** I'm carrying a mountain of books."

Rune sighed. "Blank, I really don't think we should-"

"Oh, **come on**!" Blankridge grabbed Rune's shoulder and practically dragged him forwards.

Roxanne gasped and ran after them. "Wait for me!"

Rune merely groaned as Blankridge dragged him after the stranger. _Oh, this is such a bad idea..._

~~...~~

Blankridge, Rune and Roxanne quietly followed the strange dragon as he walked down the staircase and towards the front lobby.

"Seraph isn't going to like this, Blank." Rune said as he followed behind the orange drake. "We should really go back while we still can."

"Nu-uh!" Blankridge snapped. "I wanna see what this guy's up to. And I know you do too! Why else did you get so close to him before?"

"Well, uh..." Rune couldn't think of an answer. He just frowned and followed along. Roxanne nudged his head up. Rune looked at her, and she smiled. He sighed and continued following Blankridge.

Before long, the trio got a better view of the front lobby. The robed dragon was talking to Jonas at the desk. Rune and the others snuck behind an empty desk across the way and watched from afar.

"...And just how long can one check out these books?" The stranger asked.

"If you don't have a library card, then you cant." Jonas said.

"I see. Well then, how do I obtain one?"

The librarian reached behind his desk and produced a small scroll. "To obtain a library card, you must fill out this form and return it here during normal hours."

"Indeed." The robed drake grimaced. "Do you happen to have a quill pen and a bottle of ink?"

Jonas signaled to his assistant, who soon handed over a vial and a quill. The robed drake took the ink bottle in his right paw.

"I'm sure this won't take too long." He declared.

"How do you figure that?" Jonas wracked his talons on the desk and propped his head up.

The robed dragon placed the bottle down beside the scroll. He then moved his forepaw over the bottle and the scroll in rhythmic pattern. Almost immediately, ink floated up out of the contained and towards the parchment. Jonas watched in bewilderment as the ink started to coat the intricate lines on the scroll. The ink formed into coherent sentences and statements in all the categories in mere seconds. The robed drake took the now-filled-out-scroll in his forepaw and presented it to Jonas.

"Here you go, sir." The drake said cheerfully.

Jonas looked at the scroll with wide eyes. Rune was also amazed by the sight. Roxanne picked her jaw up from the floor, while Blankridge fluttered his wings in delight.

"That was _cool_." Blankridge grinned. "I wish I could do that."

Jonas quickly recovered from his surprise. He took the scroll, somewhat begrudgingly, and looked it over. He gave it to his assistant and started preparing a library card.

"Serves the old coot right." Blankridge snickered.

"Shh." Rune nudged him in the flank. "Look at the front doors."

While the robed dragon was waiting for his library card, two robed dragons walked into the library. It was the same pair from before. Rune quickly hid from sight, and he pulled Blankridge and Roxanne down as well.

"Hey." Roxanne pouted.

"S-Sorry, Roxy." Rune peaked around the desk. The burly drake picked up his new library card to check out the book from before. He looked up to see the other robed drakes approach him.

"Ah, there you are." He grinned.

"We've done as you asked, Aegis." The tall dragon said in his usual cold demeanor. "Now then, what's this 'research' you needed to do?"

 _Those must be Albanion and Elza._

"Now's not an opportune moment to speak of it." Aegis said. The big drake glanced around, causing Rune and the others to hide from sight. After waiting for a moment, Rune peered back around the corner, just in time to see Aegis whisper something into his companion's ear frill. Rune couldn't hear what he said, but it mast have been important, for it made Albanion's eyes widen.

"What is it?" Elza asked.

"We must leave immediately." He declared as he hastily spun around. "Come!"

Elza and Aegis hurried after Albanion. Once the robed dragons had left the front doors, Blankridge nudged Rune's side.

"This is our chance!" He sprung up with a smug grin. "Let's move!"

"No!" Roxanne protested. "There's no telling what kind of trouble we'll get into if we follow them!"

Rune looked back and forth between Blankridge and Roxanne. It seemed his was the deciding vote. Would he go back to Seraph's table like the good boy he strived to be? Or would he go chasing after three perfect strangers? But perhaps... they weren't really strangers at all? The way he said their names... it was as if he was used to saying them. And their voices rung in his ears the way a beloved friend's did. They didn't seem to know him.. but did he know them?

"Yeah, let's go after them." Rune said without hesitation. He ran ahead of Blankridge and out the front doors.

"That's more like it!" Blankridge exclaimed.

"Oh dear..." Roxanne pouted.

~~...~~

The robed dragons had stepped into a carriage parked in front of the library. Albanion had taken the driver's seat and urged the horses forwards. Rune, Blankridge and Roxanne quietly followed the carriage by flying over the rooftops. They travelled in silence as the carriage made its way to the southern section of Glenhaven. As time went on, Rune saw less and less citizens on the city streets. He took a deep breath.

"Are you really sure that this is a good idea, Rune?" Roxanne asked in pleading tones. "There's still time to fly back to the library."

"I want to see what they're up to." Rune said. "And... we've already come this far."

"But what if Miss Seraph notices we're gone?" Roxanne stammered. "Aren't you afraid that she'll be mad at you?"

"I'll, uh..." Rune's mind drew a blank. He hadn't thought through those consequences.

"Hey!" Blankridge exclaimed. "Mom is always yelling at me! This is what I usually do anyway! Bro won't get into as much trouble. But who cares about that? We're going on an adventure!"

"Yeah..." Rune nodded.

"But they could be thieves, or assassins, or..." Roxanne listed off a whole number of awful things.

"Hey, if you're worried about getting into trouble, then you can just go back on your own." Blankridge glared.

"B-But..." Roxanne looked at Rune. "I can't."

"Why not, huh?! You just want to nag at me like Nellie and Emerald do?!"

"No, I..."

"Guys!" Rune shouted. "Can't we just focus on flying?!"

Roxanne and Blankridge merely looked at Rune in surprise. Blankridge gave Roxanne the stink-eye, but said nothing. Roxanne pouted again, but also stayed quiet. Rune sighed. He just wanted to focus on the strangers.

~~...~~

Some time later, the carriage pulled onto a vacant street, just off the main road that linked to the town square. The carriage turned around a corner and into a back alley. The alley was long and narrow, the carriage barely able to pull inside. Another street was just barely visible down the way. The ground was cracked and filthy, with boxes scattered about. The houses on either side of the alley were decrepit. The wind blew through planks on all sides. An odor of deadwood hung about in the air.

Rune came to a landing on a rooftop, Blankridge and Roxanne landing on either side of him. They watched as the three robed dragons exited the carriage and entered one of the abandoned buildings. When the coast was clear, Rune flew down towards an open window on the side of the alleyway.

Albanion, Elza and Aegis gathered around a circular table in the empty room. Rune watched silently, Blankridge and Roxanne staying beside him.

"It seems the prince isn't in Glenhaven, if we can trust the Elders' word." Albanion said. He stood tall as Elza and Aegis took their seats.

Elza's head lowered to the table, her voice sounding close to breaking. "Another dead end. Just like the other place we've searched."

Aegis patted Elza on the back, but spoke gruffly. "Calm down, Elza."

"I fear that the Elders were suspicious of us." Albanion walked around the room. "I've given word to the others to make haste in buying supplies. We'll have to leave as soon as possible."

"Do you think the Elders were part of the Order of Culmubrae?" Elza asked, her head rising up.

Albanion stopped in his tracks. "I can't say for certain, but it's always a possibility."

"Hey Rune, what's a Culmubrae?" Blankridge whispered into Rune's ear frill. Rune could only shrug his shoulders in ignorance as he continued listening in.

"I don't think our stay here has been a _total_ waste." Aegis said. He reached into his satchel and produced the aged book from the library.

"What does that book have to do with finding the prince, Aegis?" Albanion demanded, his eyes narrowed.

"I believe I have discovered where His Highness is running _to_." Aegis declared. With a wave of his forepaw, the book levitated into the and opened up to halfway through it.

"If my memory is correct, and it always is, a few days prior to his disappearance, the prince was seeking information on something called 'The Well of Souls'."

"The Well of Souls?" Albanion repeated. He stepped forwards to look closer at the tome. "I've never heard of it."

"It's not a 'thing', per se. In ancient times, the Well of Souls was an evil pit in the center of a great mountain, wherein unruly souls of the world would go to rest. According to this book, when an evil spirit of incredible power escaped from there, the mountain around it crumbled. After the world was reconstructed in the Wake of Fire, the pit became even deeper, reaching all the way to the Underworld. Mount Erebus was erected above the pit, hiding it in the base of the mountain. And after the shadow dragons inhabited that place, the stories about the Well of Souls died down."

Elza came closer to the book to see it for herself. "What does that have to do with-?"

"I've found some rather interesting information in this book." Aegis interrupted. She glared at him, but didn't say anything. "Give it a read. You'll find it quite illuminating."

Aegis lowered the book to the table before Albanion. He looked down at the pages, eyes scanning them with intent. He then looked back at Aegis with mild curiosity.

"Where did you find this?" Albanion asked.

"It wasn't easy." Aegis answered, turning the book around. "It's the only copy I've found, and even then it was by chance. But nevertheless, I have reason to believe that Prince Cyrus wants to make use of this to revive the late queen."

"What?" Elza stood up tall. "You think he wants to revive Elenar?"

Rune flinched at the mention of that name. He then looked himself over. Why did he react in such a way to the name Elenar?

Elza pulled the book in front of herself. She then gave Aegis a slight glare. "I'd like to read this for myself... so long as I don't get any interruptions."

"My apologies." Aegis chuckled. "Sometimes I get overexcited."

"Clearly." Albanion flapped his wings and approached the stairs. "I'm going to lay down. The Shroud of Darkness is starting to strain."

"I'll lay down as well." Aegis followed Albanion to the stairs. "I could use a break too."

"Do you need help with the stairs?"

"Ha! I'm sure I'll be fine, my friend."

Albanion and Aegis went up the stairs to the second floor while Elza read from the book. Rune impatiently patted the ground with his paws. He wanted to know what they were talking about so bad...

"Well, this adventure is turning out rather lame." Blankridge lamented. He slumped against the side of the wall.

"At least we're not in trouble. Yet." Roxanne pouted. "Can't we go back now?"

Rune didn't answer. He kept thinking about what Aegis said.

 _What's in the book? What did he find?_ Rune turned to look away. _I shouldn't find out. I should just turn and._..

Rune took a few steps away, his wings flapping. But then he stood still, unflinching?

"Rune?" Roxanne asked, stepping up to him.

 _I've got to know. I've just GOT to know!_ Rune turned back around and crept back towards the window.

"I want to see what's in that book." He whispered.

Blankridge smirked. "A book? Not quite what I'd call an adventure."

"Look, I just want to look at that book." Rune stammered. "But I can't let her see me."

Roxanne frowned. "Are you sure, Rune?"

"Yeah." Rune nodded. He looked back inside at Elza as she read.

"Well, if you insist..." Roxanne turned to Blankridge and flapped her wings. "Blank, go upset the horses to get her attention."

"Oh?" Blankridge smirked again. "You've got a plan?"

"Uh-huh." Roxanne looked back at Rune. "When she comes outside, you run in to look at the book."

"Okay." Rune nodded. He stood up to fly to the side. "But what will you do?"

"I'll be your lookout for when any of them come back." She said. "But we won't have much time guys. Hurry!"

"Got it." Blankridge grinned as he approached the horses. He snuck up from behind on the left side, tip-toeing to keep quiet. Rune and Roxanne flew up to the roofttop of the building parallel to the house. When Blankridge was close enough, he inhaled as much as he could and stood just behind a horse.

"BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!" He screamed.

The horses bucked and whinnied in fright. They tried to flee, but couldn't escape the posts they were tied to.

Elza looked out the window and sighed in exasperation. "What is wrong with them?"

The dragoness stood up from the table and walked outside. Blankridge ran and hid in the alleyway. Rune wasted no time sneaking inside the house to look at the book.

Elza had left the pages the way Aegis had them, so Rune got to work reading. The pages were yellowish-brown with age. They were delicate and riddled with wrinkles and tears allover. The page on the right had an image of eight symbols circled around a dragon which lay on its back. The other page had a paragraph of text, written in a language Rune barely recognized.

Roxanne flew inside and sat down by the window. She kept an eye on Elza as she tended to the horses. She quickly whispered to Rune. "Don't take too long."

 _This is ancient draconic_. Rune whispered to himself. He scratched his mane, trying to recall how to translate. _Let's see... This word means Erebus... That means Remake. no, Reawaken. Rebirth?_

Rune reached into his satchel and searched for a blank scroll and quill pen. He set to work copying the paragraph onto his scroll.

"Rune, hurry!" Roxanne pleaded.

 _Red, Green, and Blue. Gems of the body, mind, and soul..._ Rune wrote things down as fast as he could. He was almost finished copying the paragraph when he heard footsteps on the staircase.

"Elza?" Albanion's voice called down.

Rune's eyes went wide, as did Roxanne's. The pair looked about the room in a panic. Rune's gaze settled on a closet door left ajar on the side of the room. He quickly grabbed his belongings and darted for the closet. He motioned with a wing for Roxanne to follow. The pair ducked inside the closet and carefully shut the door. Roxanne huddled up close to Rune. He could feel her heart racing wildly. Through a crack in the wood, Rune saw Albanion descending the staircase. Elza walked into the hovel at roughly the same time.

"What happened?" Albanion asked as he reached the last staircase.

"Something scared the horses." Elza closed the door and sat down at the table again. "I was able to calm them down, but I didn't see what spooked them."

Rune held his breath, trying not to make a sound. He looked down into Roxanne's eyes. She was scared out of her wits, yet also furious for getting them into this situation. Rune filled with sadness. He didn't mean to get Roxanne into trouble.

"Something's not right." Elza said. "This isn't how I left things. Look, the edge of this page is bent. And that chair wasn't knocked over before."

A shiver crept up Rune's spine. He backed up from the door, filling with dread. He regretted hiding in the closet with Roxanne.

 _Please don't find us, please don't find us, please don't find us..._

"Are you sure you didn't knock it over yourself?" Albanion asked.

"I'm definitely sure."

Suddenly, Rune heard the distinct _thud-thud_ sound as Aegis slowly descended the staircase with his missing foot. Aegis came to a stop at the staircase and looked around.

"There's someone else here." Aegis said with a low growl. Rune's mane stood on end. Roxanne hugged him tightly for support.

"Where?!" Elza demanded.

"They're hiding... Their thoughts are in a panic. They're coming from..." Rune nearly jumped as Aegis hit the door with a forepaw. "HERE!"

Rune felt jolts of fear rush through him. His muscles begged for him to do something as Albanion approached the closet. Time seemed to freeze as the doorknob turned. Before Rune had time to think, he inhaled as deep as he could...

A burst of ice shards flew out of the closet as the door swung open. Albanion and Elza ducked out of the way as the shards crashed into a far wall. Rune stood speechless, feeling completely exposed. Albanion came to stand in front of the opening, his muzzle growling and glowing with dark green magic. But he suddenly stopped.

"What?!" He exclaimed, stepping backwards. "Children?!"

"Uh..." Rune muttered sheepishly.

"H-Hi?" Roxanne asked, slowly letting go of Rune.

Albanion hissed. He grabbed Rune and Roxanne and pulled them out of the closet.

"They're children from the palace." Elza said with a glare.

Albanion brought his head down to glare into the younglings' eyes. "What are you doing spying on us?!"

"I... uh..." Rune stammered. Roxanne didn't say a word.

"Hold on a minute." Elza said. She examined the wall that the ice froze to. "He's a fire dragon, and she's a lightning dragoness. Where did this ice come from?"

Rune gasped. He ran his forepaws over each other, trying in vain to come up with an answer. "Uh... Er..."

"That **IS** quite peculiar, yes." Aegis said, scratching his beard. "There's something... off about the boy."

Albanion looked back at Aegis. "What do you mean?"

Aegis stepped around Albanion to approach Rune. But as he did so, the door to the hovel was kicked open. Blankridge strode inside, his face fuming.

"Let them go!" He roared.

The robed dragons immediately turned towards Blankridge. Elza got up to intercept him as he charged forwards. Blankridge unleashed a blast of orange flames at Elza. The dragoness opened her maw wide. A blast of green wind flew forwards in a spiraling cyclone. The cyclone tore through Blankridge's fire, dissipating it in seconds.

"What the-?!" Before Blankridge had time to think, his body was frozen in place. Try as he might, the orange youngling couldn't move. Rune turned to the side. Aegis had focused his gaze on Blankridge, his eyes glowing white.

"How many of these children are there?" Albanion demanded.

Rune realized that the robed dragons weren't looking at him. Rune took a quick breath, and unleashed a great ball of earth energy, striking Albanion in the belly. The drake snarled as he hit the floor. Rune was going to go for another blast, but his body was frozen in place. Aegis was holding him in place with his magic!

"Rune!" Roxanne screamed. She came forwards to unleash lightning bolts at Aegis. The first bolt struck his horn, warranting a shout. But Aegis held his magic firm, placing Roxanne in the same magical hold.

Rune, Blankridge and Roxanne struggled in vain to break free. Elza helped Albanion stand upright. He turned and scowled down at the younglings.

"L-Let us go!" Rune begged.

"Not until I get answers." Albanion sneered. He stepped forwards and glared into Rune's eyes. "What are you three doing here?! How can a fire dragon use water magic?!"

Rune couldn't answer. He only stuttered under his breath.

"What about you?!" Roxanne demanded. "How are you able to use wind magic?! And how is the big guy doing this?! You'd have to be..."

"Hush." Elza hissed.

"I'm still waiting for an answer, child." Albanion sneered at Rune.

"I don't know!" Rune exclaimed. "I just... can?"

Albanion glared at Rune, unsatisfied. He then looked over at Aegis. "You said that there was something off about him, correct?"

"Aye." Aegis stepped closer. The burly drake seemed to be struggling to concentrate on all three of the younglings to hold them in place. "There's a familiar aura about his body."

"Hmm..." Albanion scratched his chin. He held out a forepaw towards Rune. His heart beat like a drum.

"Get away from him!" Blankridge shouted.

Albanion ignored him. A layer of black smoke formed around Albanion's talons. The smoke rose up and circled around Rune. Bit by bit, the smoke combined with his scales. Rune felt no pain, but he couldn't figure out what was going on. He shut his eyes tight as the smoke completely covered his body. Everything and everyone went silent for a moment...

And then, all at once, the smoke flew away from his body. Everyone gasped, adults and children alike. Rune felt the binds on his body fall away.

 _What's going on? What are they gasping about?_ Rune carefully opened his eyes and looked down at himself. He couldn't believe what he saw.

Rune's scales were a midnight black hue, the individual scales barely distinguishable in the sunlight. His six horns were a deep shade of grey, and his mane was a dark silver. Two blue, hourglass-shaped glyphs were etched onto his upper forelegs. Two more glyphs, shaped liked crossed infinity signs, were embedded on his sides beside his ribs. The four glyphs glowed with some kind of magic.

Rune couldn't think. He backed up against the wall, his hear racing even more.

"This can't be!" Elza exclaimed. "It... it just can't be!"

"What did you do to Rune?!" Blankridge screamed.

"Rune..." Elza repeated, her voice nearly breaking again. "Prince Rune. He's alive!"

~~...~~

Greeting, friends and loved ones.

This chapter wound up much longer than I expected it would be. It might have even been much longer, but I wanted to keep each chapter to a manageable size. Some of the parts of this chapter are word-for-word the same as the original version. But believe me, I've worked long and hard to make a proper reimagining of the story of TLoR. I hope you enjoy where it goes form here.

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	6. Act 1, Chapter 5

Jules grunted as he fished through the pocket hidden under his armor. It was tiring work inspecting the palace corridors. Especially after Sir Hontus was absent; Jules had no choice but to cover for him. But Jules now had a moment's reprieve, and he intended to enjoy it.

Jules finally retrieved his pipe as he pushed the palace gates open. The guards gave a salute as he walked down the steps, his pipe in his mouth. Jules looked out at the skyline of Glenhaven as he inhaled. Smoke came from his nostrils, only to be blown away in the wind. Jules shut his eyes, letting the stress melt away.

 _I know I promised Mimet I wouldn't use this pipe as much anymore_ , Jules sighed internally. He blew more smoke from his nostrils, letting the aroma overtake his senses. _But being Captain of the Guardians isn't an easy job._

The flapping of wings interrupted Jules' thoughts. He doused his pipe and put it away as someone landed behind him. Jules turned around to see Hontus come to a landing.

"Pardon me, Captain." Hontus bowed his head.

"You're certainly back **much** sooner than I expected." Jules wracked his talons on the pavement. "Didn't you say something about taking the afternoon off?"

"I know what I said..." Hontus stepped closer to speak in a quieter tone. "I had to fetch a dreamstone for my son."

Jules gave Hontus a suspicious look, his neck bend back away from the red drake. "Why are you whispering, Hontus?"

"You could've spoken to Elder Telus about it."

"Bah." Jules rolled his eyes. He turned back the way he was facing with a shake of his wings. "Clearly it wasn't important enough to tell me initially."

Hontus walked over to stand at Jules's side. He kept his hushed tone. "I needed to get a dreamstone for Rune."

Jules blinked. He glanced up at Hontus. "And why exactly does he need one?"

Hontus started to explain to Jules the situation. The captain sat back on his haunches as he listened. He was aware that Telus had some vested interest in Rune's development. It had been this way for six years now, ever since Rune was adopted by Hontus's family. But for the life of him, Jules couldn't understand why details about the youngling were kept so confidential...

"...And the Elders want me to tell them if it works." Hontus finished, having sat back as well.

"I see." Jules nodded. He stood on all fours, stretching out his back. "So why have you returned here so soon?"

"I have just enough time to do a inspection of the grounds before turning to the library."

"Don't bother, Hontus." Jules waved him off.

Hontus tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean, Captain?"

"For starters, I've already covered your afternoon shift for you." Jules reached for his pipe again. "As for your son, if the Elders want you tending to-"

Jules's pipe fell from his lips as something like an explosion sounded in the distance. Surprised, he sprung into a battle stance immediately. He looked this way and that, a snarl in his throat. What had happened? What exploded?

"Sir, look!" Hontus shouted, pointing with a forepaw towards the south. Jules followed his gaze with a scowl. It didn't take long for Jules to see a geyser of black mist rising up from the south.

"It looks like it's coming from the market district!" Jules declared, his talons digging into the ground.

"Should I go investigate, sir?" Hontus asked.

"Nay!" Jules shouted as he snatched his pipe from the ground.. "I'll handle this!"

"Yes, sir!" Hontus saluted.

The captain roared into the air, signaling several guards on duty. They came towards Jules as he made a running start to fly. The other dragons soon followed him into the air, and they all charged towards the market district.

Being the Captain of the Guardians wasn't an easy job. But it was HIS job to serve and protect the people of Glenhaven. And Jules wasn't about to let stress get in his way!

~~...~~

Rune was scared nearly out of his wits. He had nowhere to run: Albanion and Elza stood in front of him, while Aegis flanked him from the side. As the black smoke finally cleared, Roxanne and Blankridge looked upon him incredulously, while the adult dragons seemed unable to comprehend his form.

"Rune...?" Roxanne asked worriedly.

Rune's heart beat harshly against his ribcage. He couldn't stop hyperventilating. What was this?! Why was he black?! What were these markings on his legs?!

"Impossible!" Albanion exclaimed. He brought his head down to look Rune over completely.

"St-stay back!" Rune shouted. He backed up until he accidentally slammed into a wall.

"Tell me what you did to him!" Blankridge screamed. He ran forwards in an attempt to bite Albanion's leg. But the orange drake was frozen in place by Aegis's magic again.

"Enough of that." Aegis snapped.

Blankridge thrashed and snarled as he tried to escape the magic. Aegis glanced over at Roxanne, who only stood in place, whimpering in fear. Rune's fear was partially replaced with pain as he looked upon his helpless friends.

Aegis frowned at Rune, and then looked towards his companions. "I don't quite understand. You said boy is... Prince Rune?"

"Y-Yes." Elza said. Something seemed to light up in her eyes. "We've found Prince Rune!"

There it was again. **Prince** Rune? Why was she calling him that? Rune looked down at himself again. He felt... something strange inside himself. His panic died down a little, but not by much. He looked up again to see Albanion and Elza looking down at him.

"This must be some kind of trick." Albanion said. He waved a forepaw around and muttered something in ancient draconian. Nothing seemed to happen.

"I can't sense any magical auras around him other than his own natural magic." Aegis said. "He seems real enough."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Rune shouted. "What have you done to me?!"

"Rune..." Elza stepped closer, causing Rune to step back. The dragoness frowned.

"You don't recognize me?" She asked.

"Of course not!" Rune spat, nearly tripping over himself. And yet something at the back of his mind _DID_.

The dragoness's features slumped, but then she perked up. "It has been a long time. Maybe just my voice isn't enough..."

Elza reached up to pull her hood back. She held a forepaw before her face and created a small orb of dark mist. Albanion glared at her incredulously. He glared at her in anger, and motioned towards Rune's friends. Elza looked at them, but then looked pleadingly at Albanion. She nudged him with a wing to look at Rune. Albanion looked down at the floor, shutting his eyes. He sighed, and then pulled back his own hood.

 _What was that all about?_ Rune wondered.

He soon found his answer. Albanion and Elza each had their own dark obs. The held them before themselves, which spread the mist over their bodies. Once they were completely covered, the mist faded away. Rune looked on in shock as the dragons' appearances changed completely.

Albanion had dark grey scales. Blood red horns grew around a bronze mane. His eyes were the same red hue. Elza's body was dark olive in color. Her silver horns jutted out like lightning-bolts, and her mane was a dark blue.

"No way!" Blankridge shouted. Roxanne nearly screamed.

Elza looked back down at Rune and smiled. "Can you recognize either of us?"

Rune looked between their faces. Without a doubt, they were dark dragons. But as he looked them over, something stirred within him. Ever since his encounter with them at the palace, Rune felt like he had met these two before. But here and now, Albanion and Elza had the same faces as the two smiling dragons from his mind.

And in an instant, Rune remembered something. All of Rune's fear melted away. His eyes watered as he stepped closer to Elza.

"You're..." He said slowly. "You're my Aunt Elza."

"Aunt?" Roxanne repeated incredulously.

Elza gave a warm smiled. She wrapped a foreleg around Rune. She lowered her head to his shoulder, on the verge of tears of her own.

"I.. I can't believe that you're alive!" Elza's lip quivered. "By the ancestors, I've missed you so much!"

Rune looked up at Albanion. Uncle Albanion. The dark grey dragon was still unable to comprehend what was happening. Rune let go of Elza and gave a hug to Albanion's foreleg. The dark dragon looked down at him awkwardly. He slowly lifted a forepaw towards Rune's back, only to move it away cautiously. Albanion seemed to be trying not to tear up.

Rune couldn't explain it. Just a few moments ago they were complete strangers. But now vivid memories flashed through his mind of Albanion and Elza raising him and... someone else.

"Rune, what's going on?" Blankridge asked, still struggling against Aegis's magic. "Why are you hugging those weirdoes?"

Rune backed up from Albanion and looked over to Aegis. "Could you... please let my friends go?"

Aegis looked over towards his companions, still very confused. Albanion nodded yes, and Aegis merely shrugged his shoulders. With the spell gone, Blankridge toppled to the floor. He stood up with a grumble and a sneer.

Roxanne walked carefully around the adult dragons and stood beside Rune. "Hey, what's going on, Rune? You're acting... and looking... so strange."

Rune frowned. He sat back on his haunches and looked himself over again. Black scales. Why did he look like this?

"Why are you creeps acting so friendly all of a sudden?!" Blankridge demanded, rubbing his muzzle where he hit the floor.

"I... I think I know them, Blank." Rune said. "Well, these two at least. They're my Uncle Albanion and Aunt Elza. They're from when I was little."

"But they're dark dragons!" Roxanne exclaimed. "And you're a... a..."

"A black dragon!" Someone shouted.

Rune gasped. That voice wasn't anyone in the building. Albanion and Elza seemed just as shocked by it. Rune turned to look out the window. With all the commotion of what had happened, nobody had paid attention to the windows. And standing behind the window was a palace guard.

"Captain Jules!" The guard shouted. "Over here!"

"Blast!" Albanion shouted.

Rune could hear the sounds of soldiers charging towards the area. The horses outside whinnied and bucked wildly. Albanion and Elza scrambled to create more orbs of black mist. While they were distracted, Rune felt Roxanne shove him towards the window.

"Hey!" He yelled as he hit the wall.

"Run, run!" Roxanne pleaded.

With no time to think, Rune leaped forwards to scramble out the window, Roxanne following behind. Blankridge wasted no time leaping through one of the other windows.

Elza stopped her magic and ran to the window. "Rune, wait!"

Rune landed with a grunt on the hard ground. He bruised his paws and part of his tail. Blankridge and Roxanne landed on either side of him shortly afterwards. Several gasps filled the either from the far side of the alleyway. Wincing, Rune stood upright and looked towards them. He froze; several palace guards had come to investigate.

"What are those kids doing here?!" One of them asked.

"Look!" Another one screamed at the top of his voice. That one's a... a black dragon!"

Rune's eyes went wide. He saw the guard reel back to inhale a puff of air. Rune instinctively shielded himself with his wings, fearing a blast of flames.

"Hold your fire, idiot!" A familiar voice snapped. Rune looked up to see Captain Jules appear at the front of the crowd. Jules looked down at Rune and the other younglings.

"The captain's here?" Roxanne asked.

"We're saved!" Blankridge cheered. He stood up and ran for the guards. "Guys, come on!"

Roxanne was eager to follow Blankridge to safety, but Rune couldn't budge. He was initially grateful, but he was filled with dread as the captain gave him a curious look, and the guards looked down at him with disdain.

"That black dragon looks like... Hontus's boy." Jules said. He lowered his head for a closer look, his eyes scrutinizing him.

"It's me!" Rune exclaimed.

Before he could say another word, the door to the hovel was thrown open. Elza ran out the door and unleashed a current of wind upon several of the guards.

"Rune, this way!" She shouted towards him, motioning with a wing.

Rune looked back at her, his heart racing. He made several strides to follow her... but then Blankridge and Roxanne called out to him.

"Rune, come on!" Blankridge said hurriedly.

"But..." Rune stammered.

"Rune, please." Roxanne added.

Rune looked between the faces of his friends, and then over at Elza. The dragoness seemed desperate for Rune to come with her. He couldn't decide what to do. Where should he go? Ultimately, someone decided for him. Rune was lifted up by the gruff of his neck and carried backwards. He howled and kicked his legs, only to realize it was Jules who grabbed him.

"Let me go!" Rune pleaded.

Jules plopped Rune down between a pair of guards and looked him in the eyes. "Wait HERE."

"Give him back!" Elza shrieked.

"Another dark dragon!" Someone shouted.

Elza charged forwards, but the guards all prepared elemental attacks. But before they fired, Albanion emerged from the hovel, with Aegis at his heels. They moved to stand on either side of Elza. Albanion whispered something with anger at Elza, but Rune couldn't hear it. Elza whispered back sadly, wings drooping again. Aegis was muttering something under his breath, his eyes shut tight.

Jules was briefly shocked by the sight of the dark dragons, but he quickly snapped himself out of it. The captain stepped forwards and stomped his forepaw. "AHEM!"

Albanion and Elza stopped and looked forwards, while Aegis kept chanting. The air grew colder. Albanion seemed to glare at Elza again but stepping forwards.

Jules motioned towards the emblem on his armor. "As captain of the Glenhaven Guardians, I demand to know what you were doing with these children!"

Albanion briefly locked eyes with Rune, seemingly with disappointment. The robed drake then glared at the captain.

"We were minding our own business, until we found those younglings spying on us." Albanion said. "We were unaware who THAT ONE really is."

Rune stepped back worriedly. Jules blocked him with a wing.

"I hereby place you three under arrest!" Jules declared. He stepped forwards, as did the guards. "Surrender, or be prepared to fight!'

Rune peaked around to look at the robed dragons. He saw Albanion slowly stick a forepaw into his pouch. His eyes flashed white for a brief moment.

"There _is_ a third option..." Albanion said. He pulled a strange, purple object out of his pouch. It shined in the air like a gem, but Rune had never seen its like before.

"Halt!" Jules roared. "I order you to HALT!"

"Aegis, NOW!" Albanion roared.

Gasping, Jules quickly turned around and grabbed Rune by the gruff again. There was a sound like an explosion as blasts of fire, ice and earth ripped through the air. Jules also shoved Blankridge and Roxanne forwards to get them away.

"H-Hey!" Blankridge gasped.

"What's going on?!" Roxanne cried out.

After running out into the open, Jules put Rune down and spun about. Rune did the same, groaning at the soreness of his neck. Rune gasped when he looked back at the alleyway.

Flames, Ice shards and boulders had torn apart the alleyway. Every single attack had been deflected away from the robed dragons. Aegis kept his eyes focused on the guards, his eyes flashing again. The guards were frozen in place. They hissed and growled as they tried to free themselves.

"What is this magic?!" One of the guards howled.

Albanion tossed the purple crystal behind himself. Rune braced himself for another explosion. But this one was... different. The sound was lower, and the blast was confined to the alley. A large burst of black smoke rose up behind the dark dragons. The black smoke twisted in on itself, becoming some kind of... hole.

"This is where we leave." Albanion said.

The guards struggled to break free again, to no avail. Aegis wasted no time hobbling into the swirling black portal. Albanion rushed to jump in after him, stopping only to shout back at Elza. "COME ON!"

Elza glanced between Albanion and Rune. She looked down at him sadly, pleading with her eyes for him to follow her. Rune only took a single step forwards before Jules held grabbed him.

Jules held a firm grip on Rune's shoulder and glare down at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

Rune couldn't answer. He just shut his eyes and looked at his forepaws. He heard a brief, but mournful howl as Elza jumped through the portal. When Rune opened his eyes, the dark dragons had all vanished, and the portal was gone.

A pit formed in Rune's stomach. He had just rediscovered family, only to lose them. He tried to ignore the gasps and shouts of the citizens of Glenhaven as they looked his way. Rune looked up fearfully at the scowling visage of Captain Jules.

"You're coming with me, boy." Jules said coldly. "You and your friends."

~~...~~

When the binding magic on the guards finally wore off, Jules ordered a search of the surrounding desert to find the three dark dragons. But it proved fruitless. In the meantime, Jules brought Rune and the other younglings to the palace.

It was hours later. Rune sat dead center in the Elders' meeting chamber. Jules had summoned all of the Guardians to the meeting. Rune's entire adoptive family was there as well. Roxanne stood with her parents, since she acted as a witness to what had happened.

All the eyes of the Guardians were on Rune's back. He shivered in fear. Suddenly being in the company of the dark dragons wasn't so bad. Rune looked over at Hontus and Seraph. Seraph seemed horrified to see Rune in this state. Hontus had a similar face, but his seemed mixed with something else... dread? guilt? Rune couldn't tell. Nellie was constantly on the verge of silent tears, while Blankridge tried not to look at him.

Why was Rune's family looking at him like that? Were they afraid of him? Rune's heart started to break.

Elder Telus was the first to speak. He looked down at Rune in pity, and then addressed the Guardians.

"First of all, we need to make it clear exactly what happened earlier today. Blankridge, Roxanne, please step forwards."

Blankridge gulped. When he didn't move at first, Seraph nudged him forwards with a wing. Roxanne was motivated by her own parents in the same manner.

"Well..." Blankridge took a nervous breath. "It started when Rune, Roxy and I followed those three weirdoes to that alleyway. Rune got interested in their book and wanted to read it. We formed a plan to sneak him inside, and..."

"You just let him walk right in?!" Seraph exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Blankridge gulped.

"Enough." Telus snapped. "Continue the story."

"They found Rune and I in a closet." Roxanne said. "After that, the big one made him hold still, saying something about a 'shroud' thingy. Then the big guy drew a strange black energy thing off of Rune, like this..." Roxanne mimicked the motions with her forepaw. "...When he finished, Rune looked like... this." She motioned towards him.

Rune bent his head low, his wings falling to the floor.

"They wouldn't say what they did to him!" Blankridge exclaimed. Tears welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen! I just wanted to take Rune on an adventure! I..."

"That's quite enough, Blankridge." Telus said. "You and Roxanne can stand aside for now. Rune, look at me."

Rune picked his head up as Blankridge and Roxanne walked back to their families. A shiver crept up Rune's spine as the earth elder studied his features. Telus took a long sigh, and spoke calmly.

"Rune... I want you to know that you're not in any trouble. I just want to ask you a few questions."

"Y... yes, sir." Rune said, still shivering. He sat back on his haunches.

"Do you feel any different than you did this morning? Are you in any physical pain?"

"No." Rune shook his head. "In fact... I feel kind of... good. Almost better."

"What do you mean, little one?"

"I don't know..." Rune shook his shoulders around and stretched out his tail. "It feels like some small weight has been plucked from my mind."

"And you're sure that those dark dragons haven't done anything to hurt you?"

"I'm sure." Rune nodded. "And in fact... I think I know them. They felt like family, Elder."

"Family?" Telus repeated with wide eyes.

"Yes, Elder. The ones named Albanion and Elza are my Uncle and Aunt."

Telus tilted his head back in thought. Rune heard the Guardians start murmuring behind him. Rune shivered again.

 _Whatever Telus says, I'm definitely in deep trouble_. Rune gulped.

"So, does this mean you've remembered something, Rune?" Telus asked.

"Kind of?" Rune flapped his wings. "When I saw them remove their disguises, I recognized them immediately. They felt like family I hadn't seen in years. But... I can't remember where I lived back them. I don't recall who the rest of my family was. Just those two."

"I see..." Telus shut his eyes in thought.

"Are we going to continue to ignore the dreadwing in the room?" Jules asked. He stepped forwards and flapped his wings irritably. "Rune is a black dragon. Several of my men, and quite a number of witnesses, spotted Rune in this state."

A murmur began to fill the room as the Guardians spoke amongst themselves. Rune bent his head low, almost on the verge of tears. He looked over at Hontus and Seraph. They still weren't sure what to make of his new form. The pit in Rune's heart grew deeper.

"Word is bound to spread through Glenhaven like wildfire." Jules continued. "And the flames will only be aided by word of those dark dragons. Nobody's going to keep quiet about sightings of dark dragons."

"I for one find it fascinating." Voden said from across the room. "I was right all along! The dark dragons WERE disguising themselves!"

"But how many of them are there?" Attonita wondered. "And more importantly, how many more of them are hiding amongst those nomads?"

"We could do a search of their caravan, Mother." Jules suggested. "But I'm not sure how we can identify dark dragons. Their magic is beyond me."

"Perhaps a normal investigation is in order." Krystallos said, straightening himself upon his cushion. "Speak to members of the caravan about the dragons named Albanion and Elza. Maybe someone will know something."

"But until the investigation is over, we can't allow those nomads to leave Glenhaven." Telus declared. "We'll begin the search on the morrow."

"What's going to happen to me?" Rune asked nervously.

Telus blinked He looked down at Rune with pity and patted him on the shoulder. "Come now, little one. I already told you you're not in trouble."

"But, I'm a..." Rune stammered, wracking his talons on the floor. "...a black dragon. What does that mean? Where did I come from?"

Telus sighed. He glanced over at Hontus and Seraph, who glanced back in sadness. Telus returned his gaze to Rune. "I can't claim to know everything. But what little I do know, this isn't the time to tell you. I'm sorry, Rune."

Rune bent his head low again. What did Telus know? Why wouldn't he tell him?

"Uh, Elder sir?" Blankridge called from the other side of the room. "There's one other thing I forgot to say.

Telus grunted and looked over at him. "Yes, Blankridge, what is it?"

"Those dark dragons called you and the other Elders a weird name. Culmu-somthing."

Telus's eyes lit up. His head rose high. "Excuse me?"

"I think it was Culmubrine or Culmubrae-"

"BE SILENT!" Telus bellowed. Blankridge yelped in surprise and felt back against Seraph's foreleg. Rune also yelped, but kept standing. The Guardians looked upon Telus in confusion. Even Attonita and Krystallos were caught off-guard by Telus's rage. The earth elder blinked and shook his head. He sat back on his haunches and took a deep breath.

"My apologies." He said. "I had hoped that that word would never be known here."

"What _is_ Culmubrae?" Voden asked.

Telus went silent for a time, his eyes shut tight. Finally he opened them and spoke loudly and clearly.

"The Order of Culmubrae is a name." He said. His talons dug at the floor as though he were furious. "A group of dragons that I'd rather forget."

"Why, Elder?" Rune asked.

Telus looked down at him with a frown. "There are some things you're better off not knowing, Rune."

Rune sighed and looked away. "If you say so, Elder."

Telus stood upright. "I believe this meeting is finished. Parents, bring your children home."

"Yes, Elder." Roxanne's parents said together. They tugged Roxanne by the wing so she'd follow them to the door.

"Yes, Elder." Hontus and Seraph were a bit slower to say.

They walked forwards a short distance, Blankridge and Nellie close behind them. Rune turned to look at them, unsure if he should follow. Seraph seemed so horrified at the sight of him, like Rune had come away from a terrible accident. It was enough to make Rune wonder...

 _Does... Does she still...?_

"Come on, kiddo." Hontus nudged Rune's neck, making him shake his head. Rune looked up at Hontus in confusion. "It's time to go home."

"Oh..." Rune stammered. "Okay, Hontus..."

Rune went carefully and quietly with Hontus, Seraph, and the others. But he didn't say another word.

~~...~~

Albanion, Elza and Aegis emerged several miles east of Glenhaven. With no time to waste, they fled further from the city across the sands. In order to keep up with his companions, Aegis used his magic to levitate himself. He floated through the air just behind them so he wasn't a burden. The three dragons travelled in silence until they came upon an oasis.

"This seems like as good a place as any to stop for the night." Aegis said.

A large ring of green and white plants encircled a clear pond. A stone statue of a dragons stood in the center of the pond. Fruit-bearing trees were scattered about the area, most of them bent over the pond. In the distance, a series of grand rock formations could be seen about the desert.

Elza set to work preparing a campsite. Aegis gathered flint and tinder from his satchel and started a campfire. He sat beside the flames and opened his book, flipping decisively through the pages.

Albanion sat down beside the pond, panting. "I can't bear this damned desert heat any longer!"

He drew a water flask from his pouch and refilled it in the pond. He wasted no time guzzling down the water in big gulps. He briefly acknowledged the statue looming over him. Elza sat down beside Aegis.

"We need to in form the king!" Elza declared, stretching out her back. "We need to tell him that Prince Rune is alive!"

Albanion finished drinking his water and stood up.

"I never would have imagined this..." He said as he approached. "Nobody caught in that explosion could have survived. Not in one piece. So many were crushed... burned alive..."

"Perhaps a higher power intervened?" Aegis suggested, turning a page.

"But if Rune survived, how did he end up in Glenhaven?" Elza asked.

"These are questions for a later time." Aegis stated. He finally stopped at the page he wanted. "Right now, we must contact His Majesty about what we've found. But first..."

Aegis took a great sigh before pulling back his hood. He sighed in satisfaction after removing his Shroud of Darkness. His scales were a dark shade of umber. His near-black mane was great and bushy, which served as a contrast to his neatly groomed beard. One of his bulky brown horns was cracked and blunt, while the other was smooth and sharp.

Aegis stood up and held a forepaw out to create an orb of black mist. He launched it into the open air before the three dragons, where it hung in place. After a moment, the orb grew in size and turned into a flat "window" in the middle of the air. After a moment, two golden eyes appeared in the darkness. They eyes were accompanied by a deep, powerful voice.

 **"Who beckons me?"** The voice demanded.

"It's I, Your Highness." Albanion answered. He and the other dark dragons bowed their heads in allegiance.

 **"Albanion? Why have you contacted me?"** The king asked. **"You should know that I'm busy."**

"My lord, we bring important news regarding your son." Albanion said, standing upright. "We haven't found Prince Cyrus yet, but we now know his reason for running away."

 **"What is it, then?"**

"We have reason to believe that Prince Cyrus is travelling to the Well of Souls, my lord."

 **"What?!"** The king bellowed. **"Why would he go there?! Mount Erebus has been abandoned for nearly a decade!"**

"I've discovered something ancient and powerful in an old tome in Glenhaven, my lord." Aegis said. He lifted the book via telepathy and showed it to the king. "It's called, the Revival Ritual."

 **"Revival Ritual? Explain."**

"The book is written in ancient draconic, and most of the words are faded, but I'm able to translate most of it." Aegis cleared his throat so he could recite the lines he could translate:

 _In the cold heart of Erebus,_

 _When the Eight are combined as one,_

 _The Spirits will walk among us,_

 _And death itself shall be undone._

The king was silent for the entire time Aegis spoke. The dark brown drake cleared his throat again.

"Your Highness?" Aegis asked.

 **"Are you certain that such a ritual is legitimate?"**

"I can't say, my lord, but some time ago, Prince Cyrus was inquiring about the Well of Souls. If he discovered the Revival Ritual, it could be that he's travelling to the north to revive Queen Elenar. It's the best, and only, lead we have."

 **"Hmm..."** The king focused his gaze on Albanion. **"Very well. You have my permission to travel north to Mount Erebus to find my son. Be sure to move with increased haste."**

"Why, Your Highness?"

 **"A few nights ago, King Horus of Ignys was... taken out of the picture."**

Albanion glanced between Elza and Aegis. An air of dread hung over them. The death of the leader of the city of Ignys was a sign of troubling times ahead.

 **"In the last few days, warnings have been sent to the other members of the Order of Culmubrae. They will be on the alert. Never stay in one place for too long."**

"Very well, my lord." Albanion bowed his head again.

 **"Now then, if there's nothing left to discuss..."**

"Wait, Your Highness!" Elza exclaimed. "There's more!"

 **"Why are you so frantic, Elza? That is unbecoming of you."**

"I apologize, Your Highness." Elza bowed again, but quickly stood back up. "It's just that we've made an incredible discovery!"

 **"And that would be?"** The king demanded.

"Prince Rune is alive!" Elza flapped her wings in joy.

The king was silent for a moment. Albanion wondered if the news was sinking in.

 **"What do you mean, Elza?"**

"We discovered Prince Rune while we were searching through Glenhaven."

 **"You lie."** The king spat.

"Why would we lie about something like this?" Albanion snapped. "We speak the truth!"

Another moment of silence passed.

 **"If Rune is alive, then where is he now?"** The king asked coldly.

"Unfortunately, Your Highness, he's still in Glenhaven. We were separated from him when we fled Glenhaven."

 **"Are you** _ **certain**_ **that it was Rune?"**

"There was no mistaking it."

The king paused yet again, this time in thought.

 **"I refuse to believe such foolhardiness. You will drop this nonsense from your memory and continue your mission."**

"But My lord!" Elza pleaded.

 **"Those orders are absolute."** The king interrupted. **"This conversation is OVER."**

And with that, the golden eyes vanished from view. The window of darkness faded into nothingness. Elza howled out in frustration. She ran across the way and slashed at a tree.

"Why wouldn't Lord Bane believe us?!" She hissed. "We found him! He was right in front of us!"

"Elza..." Albanion said. He approached cautiously, but she hissed at him. Albanion frowned at her, hoping she'd calm down.

"Elza, think about it." Aegis said, closing his book. "If you watched your son die, and believed he was dead for six years, only to be told he was alive, would you be so quick to accept it?"

"Even so, we can't just FORGET what happened today!" Elza snapped. She slashed the tree again. "We simply MUST go back to find Rune!"

"That would be disobeying a direct order from the king."

"That doesn't matter! Once His Highness sees his other son alive and well, he'll practically thank us!"

"Thanks us?" Aegis laughed. "Surely you're joking, Elza."

"I don't joke!" Elza scowled.

"That's enough!" Albanion approached Elza and glared into her eyes. "Compose yourself, Elza!"

The dragoness looked him in the eyes. Her rage finally subsided. "Albanion... What do you think we should do?"

Albanion stepped back and took a breath of air. He looked between her and Aegis.

"Elza is correct. We'll need to find Prince Rune and bring him to the king."

"Thank you, Albanion." She smiled. She stepped closer, but he stopped her with a forepaw.

"However, that will have to wait until Prince Cyrus has been found. After all, it seems that Rune is safe in Glenhaven for now. We can return to retrieve him later."

"But Albanion..." Elza frowned. "Who knows what trouble could brew in the meantime. We'll no doubt have more trouble returning to Glenhaven now after that incident."

"That's a concern for another day." Albanion stated. "We need to get moving immediately. It's only a matter of time before forces from Glenhaven are hot on our trail. Or, worse yet, the Order of Culmubrae."

Albanion doused the campfire with water from his flask. He spread his wings in preparation of flight. "Come, you two. We must travel north."

Elza and Aegis exchanged glances before moving after Albanion. Once the three dragons were in the air, they began flying north. But as Albanion flapped his wings, he heard a distant rumbling noise. He turned towards the northwest, focusing his ear frills. Far in the distance, more rumbling sounds echoed out.

"Thunder...?" He questioned.

"What is it?" Elza asked.

Albanion shook his head. "It's nothing. Let's go."

And with that, the three dragons continued their journey.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I'll admit, it's a little weird writing these messages at the end of chapters. It was an idea that my buddy Dardarax told me to try. Anyway, this chapter was by far the hardest one to try. It's the last one to come before all the exciting parts finally take off. I couldn't just jump into the action; Stories require the right pacing. But I'm confident that the next batch of chapters will be even better now. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter for what little excitement there was.

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	7. Act 1, Chapter 6

It had been the most awkward and troubling evening in all of Rune's stay in Glenhaven.

His family all flew in complete silence as they returned to their home. Rune flew at the very back. Blankridge and Nellie looked back at him occasionally, but Hontus told them to focus on flying. Rune wanted to speak up, but he just couldn't find the words.

When they walked into the home, Seraph hurried herself forwards to enter the kitchen. Hontus watched her go with a sigh. He turned to looked down at Rune and the others.

"You kids should go do your schoolwork for now." He said. "We'll, uh... we'll call you in to have dinner when it's ready."

"Okay, Dad." Nellie and Blankridge said together. They both looked back at Rune, unsure of what to say. Rune was just as uneasy, so he stepped back, holding his breath. Blankridge frowned and nudged Nellie in the direction of their bedrooms.

"Rune..." Hontus started to say.

Rune glanced up at Hontus, who looked down at him with trepidation. He extended a wing out to Rune, only to pull it away again. A shiver crept up Rune's back.

"You should... uh..." Hontus stammered. "Go do your schoolwork."

"Okay..." Rune said quietly. He walked slowly forwards, his wings and ear frills drooping.

Dinner came and went in a painfully long blur. Nobody said anything at the table. Rune could barely bring himself to look up from his plate. Most of his family focused on their meals rather than look at him. All except for Seraph. The dragoness would occasionally glance over at Rune. Or rather, she focused on his black scales.

Rune was a black dragon. He just couldn't believe this. The thought made his steak taste flavorless. This whole day just didn't seem real. How could everything be turned upside-down like this? Why would his family suddenly look at him as if he was a stranger?

Tears welled up in Rune's eyes and his stomach churned. He got up from the table and went to leave the room.

"Rune?" Hontus asked. "Where are you going?"

Rune spoke quietly, almost a whisper. "I'm done eating."

And with that, he fled from the room. Nobody went to go after him. They didn't even say a word to stop him.

~~...~~

Rune kept himself secluded in his room for hours. His family went about their business, doing who knows what. The'd occasionally say something, but it was muffled by his door. Not that he wanted to listen. Rune lay on his straw mattress, a wing covering his face. He feared what they might be saying about him.

The worst came when night fell. Blankridge and Nellie had gone to bed. Rune could hear Seraph going into each of their rooms to wish them goodnight. Rune stared at his bedroom door. Seraph's footsteps stopped outside his door. Rune held his breath. There was a drawn out silence as Seraph stood there.

And just like that, Seraph's footsteps continued down the hallway. Rune's features drooped again. His chest erupted with pain. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the flow of his tears.

 _She... She doesn't..._

Rune's thoughts were interrupted by the muffled sounds of shouting. Rune could hear Seraph arguing with Hontus. He couldn't make out specific words, but Rune was sure that it was about him. Seraph sounded furious! Rune could almost feel the heat of her anger. Hontus argued back, but was more often than not on the defensive.

What were they saying about him? Rune didn't have the nerve to get closer to find out. He just waited with bated breath for it to stop. It felt like an hour had passed before the shouting stopped, but Rune wasn't completely sure. He just slumped onto his side and continued crying.

 _I can't take this anymore_ , he thought with a whimper. _This... this doesn't feel like home anymore. What am I going to do?_

Rune looked himself over in the mirror. The sight of his golden eyes only made him feel worse.

 _Why am I a black dragon? Was I always like this? WHO AM I?!_ Rune shut his eyes, trying to force himself to calm down. _It's getting late. I need to try getting some sleep..._

Rune wiped his face and sighed. He walked over to his satchel and fished through it for the dreamstone. He looked it over as he walked back to his mattress. He placed it on his bedside table and got on the bed. He looked up at the ceiling, his tears finally stopping.

 _Maybe now I can get to sleep without any nightmares._

Rune curled up and shut his eyes. He let his troublesome reality fade away, so he could enter the world of sleep...

~~...~~

Everything was dark. It seemed like the night sky stretched down from the sky to envelop the place where the ground should have been. Rune floated weightlessly through the starry void. He could barely see his own forepaws.

"What's happening...?" He asked.

Before Rune realized it, his paws landed on some kind of hard surface. He looked down and found himself standing atop a large, blue platform. Ancient draconic runes were etched into the edge of the platform.

Rune wandered around the platform, trying to make sense of things.

"Where am I? Is this a dream?" Rune tried to shut his eyes, but found that he couldn't. "It's definitely not like the other ones..."

The more Rune spoke, the more it felt like it wasn't coming from his throat. Rather, he felt like his thoughts were being projected out into the world. In fact, the more he walked around, the less real his body felt.

"What's going on?" Rune wondered, trying to strike himself. "Is anyone out there?"

As Rune walked forwards, he was stopped by a withered and ancient voice.

 _ **Do not be frightened, young dragon. You are not alone.**_

Rune gasped, or at least he thought he did. He looked all around, but couldn't find the source of the voice.

"Who are you? And where am I?"

 _ **I am a friend. That's all that matters, Rune.**_

Rune gasped again. "How do you know my name?!"

 _ **I know a lot about you, young dragon. More than you know about yourself, at least.**_

A feeling of dread filled Rune's being. "Wh-What do you want from me?"

 _ **I want to help you.**_

"Help me?" Rune demanded. "Help me how?"

 _ **I've been watching you for a long time, Rune. You were safe and sound in Glenhaven with your amnesia. But now that your memory is starting to return, it's time for you to learn who you truly are.**_

"Who I truly am?" Rune repeated. Part of him didn't trust this strange voice. "And just who am I?"

 _ **You are the lost prince of the dark dragons. You are a black dragon!**_

Horror and dread filled Rune's entire being. His heart beat like a drum.

"No! I can't be a black dragon!" Rune exclaimed, his wings flapping erratically. "I'm just a fire dragon, of Glenhaven."

 _ **A fire dragon with power over other elements? And a fire dragon who recognizes dark dragons as their kin?**_

Rune opened his mouth to shout again, but stopped and looked down. Things were starting to add up, no matter how much he didn't want them to. Tears began to well up again. But before Rune cried again, the voice spoke up.

 _ **Do not be sad, young Rune. You have a family waiting for you elsewhere. Your REAL family!**_

"My..." Rune wiped his eyes. "My real family?"

 _ **Your father, the king is out there. And your brother, Cyrus, is off on an adventure of his own. Can you remember them?**_

"Uh..."

 _ **Close your eyes, and think. It will come to you if you try.**_

Curiously enough, as the voice said this, Rune could shut his eyes again. In fact, he couldn't NOT close them now.

"Okay..."

For a time, there was more darkness. Rune began to think that all of this was just part of his dream. But then, in the distance, a light started to form. Several figures started walking out of the light. Three dragons, two dragonesses, and one young dragon came into view. Strange feelings welled up in Rune's chest as he approached them.

Two of the dragons were Albanion and Elza. The largest dragon was an old drake with a warm smile. The young dragon confused Rune, for it looked like him. But no, there were definitely some differences in his face. Lastly, Rune looked between the large dragon and slender dragoness. The drake kept his face obscured in darkness, refusing to look at Rune. But the dragoness kept her eyes locked on Rune. She looked so sad... and yet, so happy to see him.

"That face..." Rune said. He felt a choking sensation in his throat. His eyes opened again, and he found himself standing on the platform again. "I know that face!"

 _ **Yes, young dragon. Say it aloud.**_

"She's..." Rune started tearing up again. "She's my mother."

 _ **Indeed.**_ The voice sounded almost joyous that Rune remembered. _**She was Queen Elenar.**_

"Was...?" Rune asked, curiously. "What do you mean?"

 _ **She has passed away, Rune. She sacrificed everything so that you could live.**_

"She's... gone?" Rune felt like he should be devastated. But he could barely even remember her. Only her face stayed prominent in his memories.

 _ **She may be gone for now, but she may yet return.**_

"What do you mean?"

 _ **Remember what I said about your brother? He has gone on a quest for the Well of Souls, all with the goal of bringing her back to life.**_

"How? Rune stretched out his limbs, which ached from standing in place for too long.

 _ **With the Revival Ritual.**_

"You mean...?" Rune recalled the events in that abandoned building, and everything he managed to write down. "Whatever that thing was, I wasn't able to write all of it down."

 _ **I can fill in the blanks for you, young dragon. Just like this...**_

Rune felt a strange sensation in his mind. All of the markings on the platform started to glow a bright white. The light formed runes, which floated off the platform and around the young dragon. Rune blinked as words and sentences began to form in the air, only to fly forwards and enter Rune's mind. He winced as a light ringing pierced his ear frills. A stinging sensation pierced through him, which consumed all of his thoughts.

"Ugh... my head..." He groaned. He clutched his forehead with his paws, the pain becoming unbearable...

The next thing Rune knew, he was wide awake. He shot up onto all fours, panting. The pain in his head was gone, replaced with a strange sensation. Was that a dream? Was it a vision? Rune found he could think about this. Something was distracting him. Compelling him towards his satchel.

Rune sprung for the satchel and immediately went to grab the notes from before. He then fetched a quill pen and bottle of ink and raced for his desk. Rune wasn't sure why he was in such a hurry; he just felt like he MUST get to writing.

Rune wrote down what he knew was ancient draconic writing. By all accounts, he shouldn't be able to read it. And yet he could, and was composing it even. When Rune was done, he put down the quill pen and looked over his handiwork.

 _In the cold heart of Erebus,_

 _When the Eight are combined as one,_

 _The Spirits will walk among us,_

 _And death itself shall be undone._

 _Gems must be mined from rocks of old,_

 _Venture forth where spirits behold,_

 _Dark and light will channel the force_

 _Convexity will stay the course._

 _The elements, spirits will bind,_

 _They'll hear the world, and air they'll find,_

 _They'll remember what makes them real,_

 _The hardship and sorrow they'll feel._

 _To lose, one must gain. To give, one must take_

"Is this..." Rune began. He nearly jumped when the voice spoke again.

 _ **Yes, young dragon. This is the Revival Ritual.**_

"Am I still dreaming?" Rune looked around for the voice again. He sighed when he still saw nothing.

 _ **You're very much awake, Rune. You must begin your quest to discover yourself.**_

"How will this Revival Ritual help? It reads more like poetry."

 _ **It's an ancient and powerful spell. All eight of the elements of magic must be used in tandem with a wealth of life gems. With this ritual, you can bring your mother back.**_

"I only have four." Rune said, looking over the words again.

But your brother has the other four. Together, the two of you can bring your mother back to life.

"I don't know..." Rune muttered.

 _ **Find your brother, Rune. Go to the Well of Souls to the far north. You can bring your mother back, and from their rebuild your shattered family. Or, you can stay in Glenhaven, and deal with the consequences of being a dark dragon in an unwelcome home. Whatever you choose to do, act with haste.**_

Rune turned to look in the mirror again. His black scales nearly melted into the darkness of his room, were it not for the light of his golden eyes. He frowned, almost crying again. He had done so much crying in one night.

"Alright..." Rune sighed. He rolled up his scroll and held it to his chest. "I'll travel north to the Well of Souls... uh..." He looked up at the ceiling. "You still haven't told me who you are."

 _ **You shall know me as the Chronicler. But don't try to seek me out. The celestial moons are counting down again, and there's not enough time for a physical meeting.**_

"Counting down? To what?"

 _ **Do not worry yourself with what, young dragon. Your journey awaits...**_

And with that, the voice disappeared. Rune was alone with his thoughts again. What had he just agreed to do? Was he really about to sneak out in the middle of the night and run away to somewhere he'd never been? And all on the guidance of a mysterious voice? What was insane! Foolhardy! He couldn't ever justify such a thing!

And yet Glenhaven didn't feel safe anymore. After the revelation that he was a black dragon, nobody looked at Rune the same way. He couldn't bear to feel trapped here in an unwelcome home. And that voice. this "Chronicler"... he seemed too real. He had done some kind of magic to make Rune able to understand ancient draconic. And perhaps he really did have a brother out there, looking to revive his mother Elenar. If Rune brought her back, it could be a second chance to have a family.

"I can't just sit here." Rune decided. "I'm going."

Rune walked over to his dressed and started changing clothes. He put on a suit of leather training armor. He packed what he couldn't put on in his satchel. He then rummaged around his room, stuffing supplies he felt he'd need into the satchel. The last things he packed away were the scroll and the dreamstone.

Once he wad finished packing, Rune slowly opened his door, shutting it carefully behind himself to make no noise. He quietly tip-toed down the hallway. Rune took a deep breath as he stopped before the door to Hontus and Seraph's bedroom. He turned the knob and pushed the door slightly ajar. Rune peered through the crack to see inside.

Hontus was curled up on the floor, his back facing away from the mattress. Seraph lay on the mattress with a wing over her face. Bits of straw were torn up by her talons.

Rune looked away sadly. He whispered one word as he closed the door. "Goodbye."

Rune crept quietly to the den at the front of the dwelling. Two large windows flanked the front door. A pair of wooden desks sat to one side of the chamber, which Rune and the others used to do their schoolwork occasionally.

Rune took out his quill pen and another scroll. He wrote a quick message, intending to leave it on the desk for his family to find...

"What are you doing?"

Rune nearly scratched his scroll, he was so surprised. He turned his head, and was surprised to see Blankridge and Nellie standing at the entrance to the den.

"Blank, Nellie, what are you doing out of bed?" Rune asked under his voice.

"I could ask you the same thing, bro." Blankridge said as he got closer. "I wasn't able to sleep, not after the way Mom drilled into Dad earlier."

"I was trying to stay up so I could listen out for you." Nellie said, walking up close to the desk. "At first I thought the dreamstone was working, since you weren't sleeping. But then you were talking to yourself, and..." Nellie noticed Rune's scroll and stepped closer. "What's that, Rune?"

"It's nothing. Go back to bed."

Nellie gave Rune a skeptical look. Rune tried to move the scroll away, but she snatched it up.

"No, don't read it!" Rune pleaded. He groaned and looked away as Nellie's eyes widened.

"You're leaving?!" Nellie hissed. "Why?!"

"Nellie, I don't belong here. I need to-" Rune was stopped by Blankridge grabbing him and pulling into a tight hug.

"Of course you belong here!" Blankridge hugged Rune tightly, his eyes tearing up. "You're our brother. Being a dark dragon doesn't change anything!"

"Blank..." Rune coughed. He struggled to breath in the orange drake's iron grip. Rune's forepaws did nothing to tear Blankridge off of him.

"You'll always, always, ALWAYS be my bro!"

"You're... choking me..." Rune gagged.

"Huh?" Blankridge blinked. He let go and stepped back, blushing. "Uh, oops. Sorry, Rune."

Rune coughed again, waving him off with a wing. Nellie stepped up to hug him as well, but he held a forepaw out.

"Guys, listen to me." He said. "I can't stay, because I have to go to the Well of Souls?"

"The Well of Souls?" Nellie repeated curiously.

"You mean that place those spooky drakes mentioned in the alleyway?" Blank asked, stepping closer.

"Yeah. Something important is waiting for me there. Something that will help me regain all of my memories."

Blankridge and Nellie exchanged uneasy glances. Rune sighed and turned around to face the door.

"I can't expect you to understand. Let's just say a higher power is helping me. I have to go now. I'll miss you both."

"Wait!" Nellie cried.

Rune shook his head. "Nellie, I've already told you, I'm-"

"At least let me go with you."

Rune's eyes lit up in surprise. He turned back around. "What?"

"I don't want you getting yourself hurt, and I know I can't stop you from going. So let me come too."

"And don't forget me!" Blankridge declared. "I'm going along as well!"

"It could be dangerous, Blank." Rune said.

"And that's EXACTLY why I'm coming. I'm the big brother, and I've got combat training! So I've got to be there to protect my siblings on your adventure!"

Rune looked between Nellie and Blankridge, seeing the determination in their eyes. "Are you two sure about this? It's not going to be a walk in the park."

"I'm sure." Nellie nodded.

"I'm doubly sure!" Blankridge grinned.

Rune felt a warm feeling in his chest. Despite his appearance, Nellie and Blankridge treated him all the same. He started to cry again, but this time it was in joy.

"Thank you, both of you." Rune gave the pair a hug with his wings. "This means a lot to me."

"Just wait for us, okay?" Nellie tilted her head. "We need to get ready.

"Yeah!" Blankridge turned and practically barreled down the hall to his room.

"Shh, don't wake up our parents." Nellie hissed under her breath.

Rune sat back on his haunches as he waited for them to return. They were risking a lot to come with him. But Rune felt he couldn't stop them from coming any more than they could stop him from leaving. They were his beloved siblings, and his closest friends.

Nellie and Blankridge came back to the den a few moments later. Both of them were dressed in their training armor. and had satchels packed with supplies. Nellie picked up her quill pen and wrote something underneath Rune's words on the scroll.

"Are you two ready?" Rune asked.

"I'm good to go." Blankridge grinned.

"I'm almost done." Nellie finished writing and hung the scroll on the doorknob. "There. So, where do we start?"

"Well..." Rune stood up and stretched out his wings. "The Well of Souls is in the pit of Mount Erebus, far to the north. I have a rough idea of which way north is..."

"But that might not be enough." Blankridge said. "We're going to need a map or a compass. Do we have either of those?"

"Well, no..." Nellie slowly opened the door. "But Emerald does."

Rune gasped. "Why do you want to get Emerald involved?"

"Well, maybe she'll help us. She's always taken a liking to atlases."

"But don't you think she'll have reservations about this?" Blankridge asked as he walked out the door.

"Maybe. But she's still our friend. And there's always safety in numbers, right?"

Rune sighed and went out the door. It wasn't long before the trio were flying through the sky, headed for Emerald's home.

~~...~~

Since Emerald's family was the richest in the whole city, they were able to afford a massive stone mansion that towered above most of the other dwellings.

Rune, Nellie and Blankridge flew around to the back of the mansion. Emerald's bedchamber was on the top floor, so they came to land on the roof. They carefully bent over to look through the window. Emerald was sleeping on a large cotton mattress beside a wooden desk.

"Hey, Emmy!" Blankridge called. "Emeraaaaaald? Wakey-wakey!"

Nothing.

"She sure is a heavy sleeper." Rune nodded.

"Let me try something." Nellie glided down to the ground. She looked around the grass for a few moments. Rune peered down, trying to figure out what she was doing.

"Uh..."

Nellie launched herself back toward the tree branch, flapping noisily to gain height quickly in the restricted space. She held some pebbles in her forepaws.

"Take it easy!" Blankridge shouted. "You're going to wake up the whole neighborhood!"

"Look who's talking." Nellie retorted in a whisper. "Now watch."

She tossed one of the pebbles at Emerald's snout. Emerald mumbled in her sleep, rubbing her face instinctively. But she didn't wake up. Nellie tossed a few more pebbles, but Emerald would simply mumble and slip back into slumber.

"Let me try." Blankridge declared. He grabbed a pebble and threw it as hard as he could. He hit Emerald squarely between the eyes. She woke with a start, rubbing her forehead.

"Ow!" emerald exclaimed. "What the...?"

"Hey there, sleepyhead." Blankridge chuckled. "Did anyone ever mention it's nearly impossible to wake you up?"

"Huh?" Emerald picked up her spectacles and sat up. She adjusted the spectacles on her face and looked out the window, only to see the group. leaning over the side of the roof.

"What?! Blankridge? Nellie?" Emerald looked up nervously at the black drake. "...Rune."

"Uh, hi Emerald." Rune said quietly.

"So the rumors are true." Emerald took a step back. "You're a..." The dragoness shook her head and glared at Blankridge and Nellie. "What in the world are you all doing here at this time of night?"

"We need to borrow a compass and a map." Blankridge answered.

"What? Why ask me _now_?" Emerald stamped her paw. "Couldn't this wait until morning?"

"No." Rune shook his head. "Because we're all leaving for Mount Erebus tonight."

" _WHAT?_ " Emerald shouted.

"Shh, don't wake anyone up." Nellie pleaded.

"You mean to tell me that all of you are just running away from home?! I'd expect this kind of idiotic think from Blank, but not you two!"

"Hey!" Blankridge shouted.

Blankridge flapped his wings in agitation. Nellie lightly chuckled under her breath, but Rune only frowned. He leaped off the roof so he could fly around and come to a landing in the room. She backed up nervously, though she tried to hide her feelings by sticking her snout in the air again.

"I was originally going to leave by myself." Rune said quietly. "But Blankridge and Nellie insisted that they come with me. There's something very important that I have to do to the north. And to do that, I need to borrow some things. Please don't try to stop me."

Emerald tilted her head back down. She glared into Rune's eyes. "Does anybody else know about this?"

"No. I don't want to think about what will happen if I try to ask permission from anyone. I have to go NOW, under the cover of night."

"And what about Roxanne?" Emerald raised an eye ridge. "Are you running off on HER, too?"

Rune gasped. He hadn't seen or thought about Roxanne since he left the palace. He spun around in a dash.

"Roxanne!" Rune shouted as flapped his wings. "I have to go say goodbye to her!" Rune tried to jump into flight, only for Emerald to tug on his tail. Her earth magic made impossible to escape her grip. "Hey!"

"Not so fast, Rune." Emerald said. "What you're planning is stupid and wrong. I can't in good conscience let you go running off like this. Nor should Blank and Nellie. You're all being DUMB."

Blankridge glared, while Nellie frowned. "Come on, Emmy..."

"You three are likely to get yourselves killed on this 'adventure'. The smart thing for me to do would be to alert Daddy."

"Emerald, don't!" Rune pleaded, still trying to get out of her grip.

Emerald sighed, shaking her head. She looked back at Rune and the others. She promptly let go of Rune's tail. "I guess the smart thing isn't always right."

"So you won't rat on us?" Blankridge asked. Nellie immediately struck him on the shoulder. "Ow."

"No." Emerald shook her head. "I'm coming with you."

"Y-you are?" Rune turned back around again.

"I insist. You'll need some with the noble heritage of the Earth Guardians to guide you. And besides, I've never gotten a chance to leave Glenhaven before." Emerald turned around and approached her desk. "I'll need a few minutes to get prepared. You three can just wait while I get the-"

Emerald was cut off as Rune rushed out the window. Blankridge and Nellie gasped as Rune flew wildly through the sky across Glenhaven.

"Rune, wait!" Nellie called out.

"Where's he going?" Blankridge tilted his head in confusion.

"Where do you THINK?" Emerald rolled her eyes. Blankridge and Nellie exchanged glances as Emerald moved to prepare her satchel.

~~...~~

Roxanne's parents owned and lived in the Gilded Phoenix tavern in the southern part of Glenhaven. Rune had been there a few times before with Nellie as a participant of their sleepovers. So it didn't take long for Rune to arrive there.

Rune came to a quick landing in the backyard and silently crept up to the wall. He leaned down to crawl quietly beneath the windows. He kept his wings folded in as tight as possible to make himself smaller.

 _I shouldn't take long,_ Rune decided. _I'll just write down a message for her and stick it in her window._

Rune knew he was making an even bigger risk coming to Roxanne's home. But he just couldn't bear to leave Glenhaven without saying goodbye to her. Rune reached up for the windowpanes of Roxanne's room to pull them open.

But he was caught off-guard by the door to the tavern opening. Rune quickly ducked around the corner as a pair of dragons walked down the street.

"Did you hear the news?" The fire dragon asked.

"No, what?" The ice dragon wondered between drinks of his flask.

"Word on the street is that one of the Guardians' kids turned out to be a black dragon."

The ice dragon snorted. "You're kidding!"

"I swear on my mother's life!" The fire dragon chuckled. "Although Captain Jules threatened to hang anyone who blabbed too much."

"What a slave-driver, that guy." The ice dragon drank again. "But by the ancestors, is there seriously a BLACK DRAGON in Glenhaven? I didn't even think there'd be another dark dragon in this city, let alone one of THEM?"

Rune felt a pit in his stomach. Dark dragons weren't talked about much in all his time in Glenhaven. The last thing he wanted was to be seen as a black dragon out in public. Not around dragons like them.

"I know what you mean." The fire dragon turned to look up at a nearby bell tower. "They've finally finished rebuilding that tower after those wind dragons knocked it over."

"What are the Elders planning to do about that black dragon?" The ice dragon finally finished his flask and tossed it away into the street.

"Beats me." The fire dragon shrugged. "Let's just hope they keep a tight leash on him before he goes on a rampage."

Rune's talons dug into the grass. A rampage?! He wouldn't do such a thing! Especially not to the place he'd called home for so long!

"Well, in any case, it's getting late." The fire dragon said. "I need to head home to the missus. See you later."

"Night, bro." The ice dragon nodded.

The pair butted heads in some kind of fraternal fashion before parting ways. Rune waited a few minutes, just to be sure nobody else was leaving the tavern. Once the coast was clear, Rune took a sigh of relief. He resumed opening Roxanne's windowpanes.

Rune had expected Roxanne to be fast asleep. And at first, it seemed like she was; her back was facing the window and he could hear light snoring. Rune nodded in satisfaction and took off his satchel. He started fishing through it when he heard Roxanne shift around.

"Who's there?" Roxanne said quietly. Rune froze in surprise. Roxanne had time for her eyes to adjust to the moonlight so she could make out Rune's shape. "...Rune?"

Rune ducked partially under the window. Roxanne walked carefully up to the window to look at him.

"I... I thought you were asleep, Roxy." Rune said quietly.

"I haven't been able to sleep. I've been worrying about you all night." Roxanne stuck her head out the window and looked down at him. "What are you doing here, Rune?"

"I came to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Roxanne frowned. "What do you mean?"

Rune spent a quick minute explaining his mission. Roxanne listened intently, but grew saddened as he reached the end of his story.

"...And I'm not sure when I'll be coming back." Rune looked away from her. Roxanne placed a paw on his shoulder. He glanced up into her tearful eyes.

"Rune..." She muttered. She was cut off as Emerald's voice came from the sky.

"See? I told you two he'd head straight here."

Rune looked up to see Nellie, Blankridge and Emerald come to a landing in the backyard. Emerald fluttered her wings as she walked up to Rune. "Are you done saying bye to her, Rune?"

"I was finishing up." Rune nodded.

"Hey, wait a minute." Roxanne pouted. "You're all going with him?"

"I meant to go on the journey alone, but the others insisted that they join me." Rune backed a little away from the window.

"If that's the case, then-"

"I don't think so." Emerald interrupted.

"What?" Roxanne tilted her head. "I-"

"Are you about to say that you want to join us?" Emerald stuck her snout in the air again. Rune blinked and looked back at Roxanne. Roxanne had glided out of the window and flicked her tail from side to side.

"If the rest of you are going on this adventure, why can't I come too?"

"This isn't some game, Roxanne." Emerald said, stepping forwards. "The rest of us have advanced combat training, courtesy of the Guardians. You're just an average lowborn."

"But-" Roxanne pouted again, but Emerald didn't give her time to speak.

"And besides, we're risking a lot doing this. You're better off just staying at home and out of trouble."

"But I care about Rune just as much as the rest of you, if not more!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"That caring doesn't make up for a lack of training." Emerald snapped. Blankridge and Nellie awkwardly stepped back as the dragonesses grilled into each other. Rune groaned, rubbing his head. He quickly ran between them, pushing them away from each other.

"Stop it." He stamped his feet. "Emerald, stop talking down to her like that!"

"Hey, I..." Emerald began. But Rune swung around to speak directly to Roxanne.

"Roxy, I..." He took a deep breath. "I couldn't ask you to put yourself in danger for my sake... But thank you for wanting to help me."

"So, can I come with you?" Roxanne asked, her eyes pleading.

Rune sat back on his haunches. He looked between her and Emerald. Emerald gave Rune a demanding glare. Blankridge and Nellie seemed to refuse to want to get involved.

"Roxanne..." Rune said carefully. "It's your decision."

Emerald's jaw nearly hit the grass. Roxanne suppressed a squeal of delight, her wings flapping.

"Oh, thank you!" She gave Rune a hug. "Just a minute, let me get some things!"

Roxanne leaped back through her window and dashed about her room. Rune turned around to look at his friends. Emerald gave Rune a furious glare.

"What do you think you're doing?" Emerald dug at the ground with her talons.

"I just can't tell her no, okay?" Rune frowned.

"It's NOT okay." Emerald snapped. "If the lowborn girl gets hurt on this escapade, it's on YOU. Don't say I wasn't the voice of reason."

"Well, you're still coming along with us instead of ratting us out." Blankridge chuckled. "Some voice of reason."

"Shut it." Emerald snapped.

Roxanne leaped through her window again. She was dressed in some loose-fitting leather armor and had her school satchel around her neck. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go!"

"Did you leave a note for your parents?" Nellie asked her.

"It's on my pillow." Roxanne flapped her wings. "I hope they can understand."

"I know the feeling, Roxy." Nellie nodded.

Rune walked around his friends, flapping his wings. He charged and leaped into the air, flapping as hard as he could. A moment later, his four friends were following him into the sky. Emerald held her compass in one forepaw the whole time. Rune didn't speak until the five of them were high above the city of Glenhaven.

"Alright, it's time to begin..." Rune took a deep breath. "Emerald, which way is directly north?"

"Let me check..." Emerald looked over the compass for a moment. She then pointed with her other forepaw. "That way."

"Then let's get going." Blankridge cheered. "Onwards, to the north!"

"We're off to the Well of Souls!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"Here's hoping we don't run into too much trouble on the way." Nellie said, flapping her wings to go faster.

"We're bound to be in for a world of hurt when we get home." Emerald sighed.

Rune looked between the other young dragons. Fire, Water, Earth and lightning. The five of them would be more than enough to take on any danger they faced. As they flew over the wall of Glenhaven, Rune looked back at the city. He never expected to leave this place. Now he wondered if he would ever go back. As he turned to face forwards again, the words of the Chronicler repeated in his mind.

 _ **The celestial moons are counting down again, and time is running out...**_

I wonder what he meant... Rune sighed.

"Rune, you okay?" Nellie asked.

"Huh?" Rune blinked. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking..."

With that, the five young dragons ventured forth across the Arcus Desert...

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

The beginning part of the chapter was a little awkward to write. I wanted to summarize the awkwardness of the late afternoon, but still focus on some important details. It wasn't what Seraph said, but the way she said it.

But after that, I was very excited to write this chapter. I finally introduce The Chronicler (in a way that directly parallels some dialogue from The Eternal Night), and I got to describe the interactions between Rune and his friends. I believe that combining Rune's POV with the young light dragons was an important move. It helps me focus parts of the branching plot, as well as keep things more compact.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next week will be the debut of one of my favorite characters in this series. See you next time!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	8. Act 1, Chapter 7

In the northwest, the early morning sun rose over the lush Tall Plains.

The Tall Plains sat upon a series of cliff sides. They were rainforest, part grasslands, and part jungle. The air was thick with the scent of nature, and a multitude of creatures creaked and groaned as they moved about their forest home.

In one corner of the Tall Plains, a young dragon sat on a log overgrown with moss. He looked over a map of the dragon realms, scratching his head.

"Stupid map! Where am I?" He tried studying it further, but he groaned in frustration. He rubbed his bluish-green eyes to concentrate further.

His name was Cyrus. He scales of midnight black, and his underbelly was a magenta hue. He had glowing blue birthmarks on his sides and upper forelegs. His silver mane fell down behind two horns that curled backwards. Two smaller horns grew from behind his jaw and curled forwards like tusks.

Despite all of his concentration, the Cyrus couldn't match his location to the map. He shouted to the rooftops in frustration. "Oh, forget this!"

Cyrus crumpled up the map and stuffed it into a brown sack that hung at his side. He got off the log and stretched out his back. The youngling looked around; he was surrounded by the forest thicket. Birds and other non-sentient animals could be heard all around, following instinct to find their way through the Plains.

The youngling sighed in exasperation. "I really should have stayed with the others instead of running off."

Cyrus heard a low rumbling. He placed a forepaw on his stomach; it caused him minor pains. He winced. "I'm too hungry to fly. Maybe I can find something to eat around here..."

Cyrus between the log and a path through the trees. Looking back and forth, he decided on the log. It was more than big enough for him to trot on through.

From there, Cyrus found himself wandering through a series of various statues, pillars, and other ancient structures. According to what he'd heard, these were leftover ruins from the time when a race called the Atlawa lived in the Tall Plains. But they long since moved on, leaving behind ancient traps and puzzles. To Cyrus's frustration, most of them were **still working**. Faces in walls shot darts. Large pillars smashed together, walls moved around, and other frustrating relics impeded his progress.

"Darn it all!" Cyrus shouted as he pushed a large sphere into a crevice in a narrow corner of a shrine. "Now I know why nobody flies through here anymore."

After an hour of disarming old traps, Cyrus came upon a wide ravine. A stone platform extended a short distance over the ravine. A cubic stone sat nearby. Cyrus sighed; it was probably a switch like the ones he used before. He walked up to the switch and lifted his forepaws up. But before he could press the switch down, pain erupted in Cyrus's stomach. He collapsed onto his flank, curling into a ball. His limbs shook and his muscles ached.

"Oh, darn it. I just can't keep going." Cyrus grumbled as he rubbed his stomach. "If I don't eat something soon..."

A loud growling sound came from behind, interrupting his thoughts. He quickly scrambled to his feet and turned around. A large beast leaped from the canopy and came crashing to the grass. The creature had a furry body with powerful legs ending in hooves. It had a tail decorated in spikes and stained with blood. Its head had two large tusks around a short snout.

"Uh-oh..." Cyrus cautiously walked in a circle around the beast as its hooves dug at the grass. It suddenly charged with incredible speed and a hideous snarl. Cyrus only smirked and struck the ground with his forepaws.

A pool of black mist sprang from Cyrus's forepaws, forming a pool around him. Cyrus sank into the pool as the beast came charging through where he just was. The creature realized too late that he was gone and crashed into a tree. A second pool of mist opened up behind the beast. As the beast was getting up, Cyrus ran forwards and slashed at its side with his talons. The beast struggled to get up despite its wounds. Cyrus took in a great breath of air. By the time the beast had spun around to face the dragon, he unleashed a powerful blast of wind. The monster was forced off its feet and sent flying upwards into a branch in the tree. When the magic ended, the beast crashed into the ground, giving a mournful moan.

Cyrus approached the wounded creature and stuck his talons into its neck. It thrashed and howled for a time, until it finally went limp.

"Well, that was easy." Cyrus pulled his talons out. He grimaced at the blood on his talons. "Yuck. I'll need to find a pool or something to wash off." Cyrus shook his paws for a bit and then looked at the dead creature. "It kind of looks like a pig. I wonder..."

Cyrus walked up to the beast's side and bit into the flesh of one of the hind legs. His eyes went wide and he jerked back, coughing and gagging. Cyrus stuck his tongue out and wiped the flesh from it.

"Gross! There's no way I'm eating THIS!" He grimaced.

Something small moved about in a nearby tree. Cyrus carefully spun around just in time to see a small squirrel jumping about in a tree. An idea formed in his head. Cyrus flapped his wings and gave a low growl to get the squirrel's attention, his eyes locked on it. The squirrel heard him and dashed to climb up higher into the tree. But by this time Cyrus's eyes glowed a dark red and he floated up the length of the tree. A red aura surrounded the squirrel's body, making it stop in place and turn around. The squirrel's eyes were wide, but it didn't make a sound. Cyrus was soon hovering beside the branch the squirrel stood on, and he reached out to grab it with his jaws.

Cyrus allowed himself to float back down to the grassy floor so he could sit on his haunches. Cyrus then chewed away.

"Mmmmmmmmmm." Cyrus's tail wagged as he enjoyed his meal. Once he was done, Cyrus stood up and stretched out his back. He rubbed his stomach in satisfaction. "That's much better!"

Cyrus returned to the switch and pressed it. A stone bridge extended from one part of the ravine to the clearing beyond the ravine. Cyrus looked up at the great stone ruins beyond, groaning.

"I'm too full to fly now. I guess I'm stuck dealing with more puzzles..."

Cyrus began walking along the bridge. But he didn't get far before someone spoke to him from out of nowhere.

"Haven't you learned by now not to abuse magic?"

"Huh?" Cyrus looked around for the voice. Nobody seemed to be around. He shrugged and kept walking.

Suddenly, an adult dragon appeared in a cloud of black smoke and grabbed Cyrus by the tail, lifting him into the air.

"Hey!" Cyrus shouted.

The dragon had a crimson hide and a grey underbelly. He wore dark grey robes over most of his body. His two orange horns grew backwards and downwards, curling down his neck. His eyes and mane were the same shade of poison-green, the latter of which shot out from his head and neck in multiple "spikes".

Cyrus shook wildly in a desperate attempt to escape the dragon's grip. "Let me go, Wraith!"

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" Wraith glared. "First you go running off on your own into the dangerous wilderness. I spend over an hour trying to track you down. And when I find you, you're flaunting your powers all willy-nilly." He looked across the way at the body of the pig-like beast and grimaced. "By Cynder's name, you didn't even clean up after yourself!"

"Alright, I'll clean it up!" Cyrus yelled. "Just let go of my tail!"

Wraith sighed. He snapped two of his talons together, and instantly vanished in a cloud of smoke. Cyrus was still in the air and promptly fell to the ground, hitting his head. Wraith reappeared in the grassy clearing. Wraith put a forepaw on the switch, his talons wracking upon it.

"Why are you messing around with these Atlawan switches, anyway?" Wraith demanded.

"Hey, hey!" Cyrus scrambled to run off the bridge. "Don't flip that switch!"

"I'm not going to drop you into the ravine, if that's what you think." Wraith rolled his eyes. "Just answer my question."

Cyrus slowed down and stopped before the dead beast. "I was too hungry to fly, okay?"

"I see..." Wraith raised an eye ridge. He moved his paw off the switch and looked Cyrus over. "You shouldn't be flying over the canopy with your disguise off anyway. Do you WANT to be caught?"

"No..." Cyrus flapped his wings and grumbled.

"Well in either case, get to work, Cyrus."

"I told you to call me Edge while we're out here." Cyrus pouted.

Wraith gave him a stern look. "It doesn't matter if you're not wearing a disguise. Now get to cleaning up!"

Cyrus dug a large hole beside the tree under Wraith's supervision. He used his shadow magic to teleport clumps of dirt off to the side to speed up the process. Once the hole was big enough, Cyrus dragged the body into it and buried it in the dirt. The excess dirt was scattered out around the nearby trees with his wind breath.

"Am I done now?" Cyrus complained.

"Not quite." Wraith shook his head. "You're forgetting the most important step."

"Fine..." Cyrus groaned. The youngling faced the tree and sat on his haunches. He brought his forepaws together and shut his eyes. "Oh Lady Cynder..."

It was customary for dark dragons to utter the Prayer of Atonement whenever they killed a wild animal. Cyrus was taught since his hatchling years that even hostile animals deserved some dignity in death.

Once Cyrus was done, Wraith started clapping his forepaws.

"Very good." He said, smiling. "Your prayers have only improved. And as for your magic, even if you run around using it with impunity, you're at least able to use it with little to no effort."

"Yeah, I _am_ pretty awesome." Cyrus grinned smugly as he walked up to Wraith. Once he was within reach, Wraith clunked Cyrus on the head.

"Ow!" Cyrus leaped back to rub his head with a wing. "What was that for?!"

"You need to stop being so bloody prideful, Your Highness." Wraith glared. "It's going to get the wrong people angry one of these days!"

Cyrus only grumbled.

"This brings me to another complaint." Wraith continued. "Why did you think it was a good idea to explore this part of the Tall Plains without supervision?! Nobody's been out here in decades!"

"Hey, I brought a map with me..." Cyrus said nervously.

"And did it help you get back to camp?" Wraith stamped a forepaw on the grass.

"Err..."

"It didn't, did it!"

"Uh, I guess not..."

Cyrus hated it when Wraith grilled into him like this. He trusted his magic tutor with his life, but Wraith was almost always lecturing him about following rules and using magic properly. Cyrus was great with his elements of magic. Why couldn't Wraith be proud of him for once?

Wraith turned towards the bridge. "Well, if you're keen on exploring the ruins, we might as well follow them until the end. Come on, Your Highness."

"Fine, Wraith." Cyrus trotted after him.

Wraith and Cyrus walked along through mazelike ruins for some time. Wraith would sit back whenever another switch puzzle appeared for Cyrus to solve. It wasn't as hard as before, but the air was now filled with the tutor's ramblings and lectures about proper problem solving techniques. Cyrus tried his best NOT to listen, but it was difficult.

At one point, the pair came upon a garden of flowers in one of the clearings. Wraith was rambling about something or other when Cyrus spotted something glowing near the center. Curious, Cyrus ran up to it.

At first, it looked like a rose. But it was far from ordinary; Its bulb glowed a shining white, it lacked thorns, and the stem appeared to be made of crystal. Cyrus took a liking to it and proceeded to pull the rose from the ground. He sat back to place the rose carefully amongst his belongings in his brown sack.

"What are you doing, Your Highness?" Wraith asked, irritated that the prince wasn't listening to the lecture.

"It's a Serenity Rose!" Cyrus declared. "I didn't think they grew this far into the Tall Plains. I'm going to give it to Tina as a gift.

Wraith rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to teach you important life lessons, and you're picking flowers."

"Hey, it was just the one." Cyrus sneered.

Wraith ran a forepaw over his face. "You know what? You can make your back to camp on your own."

Cyrus's eyes lit up in alarm. "What?!"

"Well, perhaps not completely on your own. But first..." Wraith summoned an orb of darkness in his forepaw. Cyrus groaned and sat back, knowing exactly what the tutor was about to do.

Wraith launched the orb at the young dragon, covering him in a for of darkness for a moment. When the fog cleared, the prince's appearance had changed. He now had a bright red hide with a yellow underbelly. His horns had turned bright yellow as well. His eyes were purple, and his mane was a golden hue.

"I hate this disguise." Cyrus grimaced. "Why do I have to pretend to be a light dragon?"

"Well, we can't have you running around as a black dragon." Wraith said. "You'd think you'd understand the importance of staying hidden. You're the one to get the bright idea for this quest, after all."

"I know, I know..." Cyrus sighed. He scratched his head with a wing again. "It doesn't make the Shroud of Darkness any less itchy."

"Well that can't be helped." Wraith smirked. He turned around and extended a foreleg again. "Now then..."

Wraith waved his forepaw in the air, creating another orb of darkness. The orb floated in midair before shooting forwards across the canopy. It twisted left and right, forming a "path" through the Tall Plains with a trail of smoke.

"...If you want to get back to camp in decent time, follow this trail."

"Can't you just teleport the both of us there?" Cyrus asked.

"If you learned how to teleport on your own, I wouldn't have to." Wraith scolded. "But seeing as you haven't gotten to that level of magic, Mr. Shadow-Jumper, you'll just have to follow this exercise."

"Of course..." Cyrus rolled his eyes.

"Try to get to camp before the trail vanishes completely. Remember to use any life gems you see on the way." After saying that, Wraith snapped his talons and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"Hey, get back here!" Cyrus shouted, looking around.

"Better get a move on if you don't want to get lost, Cyrus!" And with that, the air fell silent again.

"I said to call me Edge!" The prince exclaimed. He grumbled some more before looking at the trail of smoke. He bent his head low and sighed. "Well, here goes..."

~~...~~

Cyrus made his way through the trees as fast as he could.

The trail of darkness that Wraith created was slowly fading away. However, Cyrus didn't get worried. Surely there was no way Wraith would let him stay lost in the Tall Plains. And besides, now that he had an exit marked out for him, Cyrus started enjoying himself.

Every so often, he'd climb up into a tree, walk onto a branch, and glide his way through several more trees until he couldn't reach the next one. He would often take detours from the path to see if he could go alternate ways. on occasion, a small animal would wander across the forest a short distance away from Cyrus, but they'd scamper away when he got close.

Cyrus finally made it to the campsite around noon.

Two days before, he and the rest of his group had travelled to the Tall Plains across the ocean from the city of Ignys. They set up camp in a huge clearing in the middle of the forest. Trees of various age and breeds surrounded the clearing, save for gaps left for two narrow dirt trails. One trail led to a fishing village to the west, while the other led to another village towards the east.

Despite what the village had to provide, Wraith decided it would be best to set up camp in the clearing; they didn't want to deal with people wandering all around them and potentially spying.

Cyrus climbed onto another tree branch and glided forwards. He burst out of the trees and ran across the clearing. As he approached, he saw Wraith standing in front of a tent, arguing with the dragoness named Lilith.

Lilith was several years older than Wraith. Her hide was dark red, and her underbelly was dark brown. She had four brown horns that started behind her eyes and curved downwards. Her mane was long and dark blue, while her eyes were light blue. She had a few silver piercings attached to the base of her right horns. She wore her own set of dark robes.

Whatever Wraith and Lilith were arguing about, it sounded like Wraith was losing.

"...Honestly, Wraith, is it too much to ask that you treat prince Cyrus with more respect?" Lilith demanded.

"Respect?!" Wraith exclaimed, his wings going wide. "Are you completely oblivious to his behavior?!"

"Of course not." Lilith wracked her talons upon the grass. "But he is our prince, and needs to be treated as such.

"He's a prince who's run away from home! He's thrown away his title! He practically told us so himself."

"That doesn't mean he's been disowned." Lilith shook his head. "Our king still wants him back."

Cyrus stopped running and grimaced. He reflected on the events of the past month.

When he ran away from home, his father sent five of his elite warriors to search for him. They were known as the Deep Shadows, and were the most powerful dark dragons in the dragon realms, next to the king himself. They were Albanion, Elza, Aegis, Wraith, and the newest member, Aegis's wife Lilith.

Wraith and Lilith searched the northern continent while the others went south. Wraith and Lilith found Cyrus wandering around the mushroom forest. Cyrus pleaded with them not to take him home. It took a lot of convincing, as well as spilling a few secrets, but Cyrus convinced them to help him accomplish his goal...

Cyrus stopped himself before he started crying. Taking a deep breath, he called out to Wraith and Lilith. "Hey, guys!"

The adults turned to face him, Wraith smirking and Lilith sighing in content.

"Well, well! You made it!" Wraith stepped forwards. "And it's only a little after noon. I would've expected you to dawdle more."

"Well you forgot that I'm a great black dragon!" Cyrus grinned. Wraith rolled his eyes, while Lilith chuckled.

"Yes, a mighty black dragon indeed." Lilith lowered her head to look over Cyrus's body. "You've gotten yourself all dirty, prince."

Cyrus shrugged his shoulders. "It happens when you're exploring."

Lilith nodded and turned towards Wraith. "You need to warn me before springing training on the prince, Wraith."

"I was more than confident that he would be fine." Wraith sneered. "Don't give me a hard time, woman."

While Wraith and Lilith resumed their argument, Cyrus looked around the campsite. There wasn't much besides a campfire, two tents Wraith purchased from the fishing village, and a few large wearable sacks containing various bits of brick-a-brack the group needed for their journey. Cyrus was trying to find the fourth member of their group, but she didn't seem to be around.

"Hey, where's-?"

Before he could finish his question, something leaped out of the forest and tackled Cyrus, wrestling him to the ground. He tried to fight back, but however it was had managed to spin him around and plant him on his back, holding his forelegs to his sides. Cyrus soon found himself looking into the face of a young dragon dragoness.

"Hi, Tina." Cyrus said with a grimace.

"Heya, Shorty." She smirked.

Tina was Lilith's daughter, roughly half a year older than Cyrus. She had a dark yellow hide and a grew underbelly. Two bronze horns curled downwards in the same fashion as Lilith's. Tina's mane was dark, almost black. Her eyes were a bright, electric-blue, and always had a spark of joy behind them.

Tina was brought along by Lilith when she left to find Cyrus; her father Aegis was with the other Deep Shadows. Tina showed amazing prowess with her magic, so Lilith decided to train her while out in the world. During the journey, Wrath and Lilith decided to have Cyrus and Tina train together.

"Tina, get of me." Cyrus said, trying to shake her off to no avail.

"Say Uncle first." Tina commanded.

"What?! No way!"

Tina brought her snout up close to Cyrus's. Her grin widened. "Saaaaaay iiiiiiit."

"Tina, dear, let the prince get up." Lilith said from across the way. Tina sighed and did as her mother asked.

Wraith rolled his eyes and groaned at the spectacle. "Kids..."

Tina turned around and ran across the clearing. She began doing laps around the perimeter for some exercise. Cyrus rolled over and got to his feet. He turned and looked up at Wraith. "So, what happens now?"

"Well, now that you're back from your little safari, we can get to work." Wraith pulled out a piece of paper from the sack at his waist. " So far, between all of us, we have the following elements: Wind, Poison, Shadow, Fear, and a dash of Lightning. It would have been nice to find a fire dragon to recruit in Ignys, but..."

Lilith grimaced. She turned and folded her forepaws over each other. "I'm glad we got out of that city when he had the chance. If only the king had waited before enacting that part of his plan."

Cyrus grimaced as a pit formed in his stomach. "That's not good. Not good at all. What are we going to do?"

"Well, in my opinion..." Wraith stretched out his wings. "We're going to have to seek help in a place that's more... diverse."

"What do you mean?" Lilith asked.

"Instead of wasting our time wandering allover the dragon realms, we should go directly to Warfang."

"The capital?" Lilith exclaimed, falling back on her haunches.

"Why not?" Wraith rolled up the bit of paper. "Warfang has dragons of practically every element. We can visit a few taverns, find some low-life drakes who'll work for a chunk of gems, and be on our way to the Well of Souls."

"But going to Warfang could be a death sentence." Lilith said. "The Order of Culmubrae has complete control over every facet of the capital! If we ask the wrong people to join us, we could be discovered in an instant. And who knows how many of them would be on our tails!"

"We'll just have to extremely discreet." Wraith said. He glanced down at the prince. "What do you say, Your Highness?"

Cyrus got quiet. He took a deep breath as he thought things over.

"Well... We need to gather the dragons we need as soon as possible." He said solemnly. "We need to reach the Well of Souls before the Night of Eternal Darkness comes. Mother is the only one who can..."

Cyrus felt tears form in his eyes. Lilith saw this and draped a wing over him.

"Don't worry, Cyrus." She said soothingly. "We'll revive her before time runs out."

"Th-Thank you, Lilith." The prince said, grasping her wing.

"So, it's decided then." Wraith clasped his forepaws together. "I'll gather everything together. Once I'm done, we'll head east to the kingdom of Avalar. We'll rest for the night there, and be on our way to Warfang."

"It sounds like quite the long journey." Tina said from the across the way.

"Only about as long as our journey to Ignys and back." Wraith nodded. "Give or take a few miles."

"If you say so." Tina shrugged and continued her exercise.

Wrath proceeded together all of the group's supplies together, as well as dousing the flame on the campfire. Lilith got to work taking down the tents to speed things along. That left Cyrus with nothing to do.

"Hey, Shorty!" Tina exclaimed. She came to a stop beside Cyrus and nudged his flank. "Wanna spar?"

"Uh, maybe later." He said nervously. "First, I uh... have something for you.

Tina raised an eye ridge at the prince. "Oh, do you?"

"Yeah..." Cyrus turned around and reached into his sack. He carefully pulled out the Serenity Rose, making sure it wasn't too damaged. When he saw that the flower was fine, Cyrus turned back around and handed the rose to Tina.

"Here." He smiled. "I hope you like it."

Tina's eyes lit up. Cyrus knew that she had a passion for plants. And Serenity Roses were her favorite.

"Oh, I love it!" She eagerly took the rose and held it up in the sunlight. "Look at the way it shines! Thanks, Cyrus!"

Tina planted a kiss on Cyrus's cheek, making him blush. "Uh, you're welcome."

Tina continued admiring her flower for a while. Cyrus watched her for a minute, when a thought came to him. He walked over to talk to Wraith, who was busy tying together the bundles of straw.

"Hey, Wraith?" Cyrus asked, sitting down.

Wraith grumbled when the bands came undone. He looked down irritably at Cyrus. "What? I'm in the middle of something here."

"Will we be in Warfang long?"

"Only long enough to find some nitwit to aid us. Why?"

"Well..." Cyrus brought his tail around to grasp it with his paws. "Once we're there, I want to take Tina with me to visit a certain spot."

Wraith stopped tying bands and stared at the prince like he had just grown a second head. "Sightseeing?! You can't be serious!"

"Well, I'd like Tina to see something cool." Cyrus said.

"What place in particular, Your Highness?" Wraith demanded. Cyrus motioned for the drake to bend his head down so he could whisper into his ear frill. Wraith jumped back, shocked and alarmed. "You're kidding! You want to take her THERE of all places?!"

"Not so loud!" Cyrus snapped.

"What is it?" Lilith asked from across the way. Wraith turned and walked up to her.

"The prince wants to take your daughter to..." Wraith whispered the name to Lilith. When he finished, she was appalled.

"Why would you want to go anywhere near THAT building, Cyrus?" Lilith asked with a glare.

"I, uh, well..." Cyrus fidgeted more with his tail. He was unsure of how to answer. "...It's the last place in Warfang that I have fond memories of with my brother."

Wraith and Lilith stopped glaring. They exchanged concerned glances with each other.

"Well, if it means so much to you," Lilith said, "then alright. But I'm coming along to keep an eye on you and Tina."

Cyrus smiled. "Thank you, Lilith."

"Hey, Shorty!" Tina called out. Cyrus turned to face her curiously, only to see her ready to pounce on him.

"It's later." She said in a singsong voice. Cyrus smirked. He got into a battle stance and charged forwards. The pair collided in midair and wrestled each other to the ground.

The two young dragons played in the sun as the two adults prepared for their trip to the east...

~~...~~

It was noon over the expansive Mushroom Forest.

The wetlands were home to countless water-loving life forms. The sky couldn't be seen through the thick caps of the giant mushrooms that towered over the swamp. Most dragons wouldn't call this untamed land their home

But one aged dragon lived as a hermit in this swamp. And he sat in thought in his home; the remains of an ancient temple.

A large pack sat a short distance away from the rolling flames next to the old drake. Light brown robes covered most of his grey body. A white beard fell to the bottom of his neck, and a scruffy beard sat upon his chin. His golden horns, which one shined brightly, curled backwards behind his eyes. His left horn was missing its tip, and his wings were worn with the many years and battles he'd seen in his lifetime.

The old dragon inhaled and exhaled in content. He looked across the way at a pool of dulled waters surrounded by a ring of stone. The pool of visions was far older than he was, and only recently had he found a way to get it working again. It had its uses, to be sure. The grey dragon shut his eyes once again to concentrate...

 _Awaken!_

The voice was ancient, yet commanding. The old dragon flinched slightly, but wasn't startled.

"My lord." He said calmly. "What brings you to me today?"

 _Great and Terrible events have happened, all at once no less!_

"Terrible?" The old drake asked with concern. "How so?"

 _Rune has left he city of Glenhaven! He's vanished from our ability to sense him!_

The aged dragon immediately bolted upright. "No! If he's left Glenhaven, then..." The dragon shook his head. "I've got to find him!"

 _No!_ The voice commanded.

"No? What do you mean 'no'? Rune is in danger!"

 _There is more to tell. King Horus has been slain. This will no doubt gain the attention of the Order._

The aged dragon felt a sickness overcome his stomach. He glanced up to the sky. "Where is Cyrus?"

 _Cyrus has fled from Ignys. He's deep in the Tall Plains with his companions._

The aged dragon sighed. "That's some good news, at least. It'll be easy to find him. But what shall you have me do, my lord?"

 _Go to Warfang. Leave Cyrus to us._

"What about Rune?"

 _I... I'm not sure. Forgive me._

"Very well..." The aged dragon sighed. He doused the fire with a jet of water. He then gathered up the few belongings he had. "I'll begin my journey to Warfang post haste."

 _May the Ancestors look after you._

The old drake smirked. "What an odd thing to say. The two of you ARE my ancestors..."

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I'm not really sure what to talk about here. Some parts of the story don't really need to be changed much from what I wrote 5 years ago. But hey, perhaps that's not such a bad thing. If it isn't broke, don't fix it, right?

The next chapter brings the focus to the Glenhaven Guardians. They're the last group that needs to get off their rears and go on an adventure. See you next week!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	9. Act 1, Chapter 8

Seraph steadily awoke as the sun rose up.

She rolled over and stretched out her back. There was nothing in the air but the snores of her mate. The mattress felt strangely empty today. Too tired to think, she put her paws on the floor and yawned lowly. Seraph blinked a few times to banish the slumber from her mind.

"Hontus," She said groggily, "are you awake?"

No answer came; just Hontus's snoring. Seraph turned to look at the bed. Hontus wasn't there; instead, the drake was sleeping on the floor.

Seraph frowned. "Why is he...?"

Realization slowly dawned on her. Seraph could hear herself screaming and shouting at Hontus. Seraph wrapped her tail around herself as the memories flooded in...

"I can't believe you!" Seraph howled.

"Seraph, I..." Hontus said nervously.

"You knew about Rune this whole time, and you never told me?!"

"I swore an oath of secrecy to the Elders."

"Why wasn't I told about this?!"

"Seraph, I'm a Guardian. It was my duty to-"

"Don't give me that tripe!"

The shouting continued for quite some time after that. Presently, Seraph felt sick to her stomach. She looked over to Hontus, her eyes tearing up.

"Oh, Hontus..." She whispered. "I'm sorry. I... I always get carried away when I..."

Seraph took a deep breath. She'd finish her words after Hontus woke up. For now, she had to tend to her children. She pushed her door open and stepped out into the hallway.

Seraph looked down the hall at the three doors on the right. Something wasn't right; it was too quiet. Usually one of those three had woken up by now. Blankridge would be eating an early breakfast to try to head out on one of his "adventures". Nellie would be setting up her art supplies in the den. And Rune would...

Rune.

Seraph held her breath. She had almost forgotten about him. She had cared for Rune for six years, ever since they found him stranded in the desert. She couldn't have imagined that he was a black dragon. Seraph looked him in the eyes only once since the revelation. It may have been a different face, but it was still the same Rune. So why wouldn't she talk to him?

 _He was so scared... so alone..._ Seraph felt herself tearing up again. _But I couldn't look back for long. I... I wouldn't say a word! Oh, what kind of mother am I?!_

Seraph had to make things right. She walked down the hallway and opened Rune's bedroom door.

"Sweetie, I need to talk to..." Seraph stopped at the doorway. "...You?"

Rune wasn't there. Seraph backed out of the room, looking around.

"Rune, are you awake?" She approached the front of the home. "Please don't be scared."

Rune wasn't in the kitchen or the den. Seraph could feel her heart racing. Where was he? She went back to the hallway to investigate Blankridge and Nellie's rooms. Maybe Rune wanted to lay down with one of them for the night. But when Seraph opened their doors, they weren't there.

All three of her children were gone. GONE!

"No..." Seraph stammered. Her breath accelerated. "No. No. No no no no NO NO NO!"

Seraph ran through the home, screaming for her children. "Blankridge! Nellie! Rune! Where are you?!"

For a time, Seraph saw no clues to hint at where they were. And then her eyes laid fell upon the front door. A scroll was handing on the doorknob. Seraph was filled with dread as she lifted the scroll up to read it.

 _Dear Hontus and Seraph,_

 _I can't stay here. I'm travelling to the far north to try to discover more about where I came from. My real family is waiting for me in the Well of Souls. I'm a black dragon, and I don't belong here._

 _I'm sorry,_

 _Rune._

 _P.S., Blank and I have decided to go with Rune. We still love him, and want to protect him on his journey. I'm sorry about this. I'll accept whatever punishment you give us when we get back._

 _Nellie._

Tears stained the scroll as Seraph's breathing became erratic. Her entire body shook; she nearly fell over.

"HONTUS!" She screamed, turning around. "COME HERE!"

"What...?" Hontus yawned as he stood up. "Seraph, what's wrong?"

"It's the kids! They're gone!"

"What?!"

Seraph heard Hontus barreling through the dwelling to stand beside Seraph at the door. Seraph's forepaw trembled as she held the scroll up to him. Hontus took the scroll and read it silently. His eyes were wide by the time he finished. He sat back on his haunches, struggling to comprehend the situation.

"I'm the one who drove Rune away!" Seraph said, distraught. "I didn't have the guts to speak to him about what's happened, and now he thinks I hate him!"

"Seraph..." Hontus stepped closer.

"And now he's run off somewhere, and our other children went with him! They ALL think I hate Rune! I'm... I'm TERRIBLE."

"Don't say that!" Hontus shouted. Seraph looked at him with a gasp. Hontus pulled her close with a wing. He placed his head atop Seraph's in a deep hug.

"Don't EVER say these things about yourself." Hontus said softly. "You're one of the sweetest dragonesses in Glenhaven. You're a wonderful mother to those three. And we WILL find them."

Seraph wiped her eyes as Hontus embraced her. "But... But how, Hontus? They could be anywhere by now."

"Let's go to the palace. We need to tell the Elders about what's happened."

"Alright..." Seraph stepped back and took a deep breath. Hontus opened the front door and led Seraph outside. She held the scroll tightly to her chest.

 _Rune... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._

~~...~~

Hontus and Seraph flew straight to the palace without a hitch. As usual, a number of teachers, guards and other staff were arriving at the palace as well.

Hontus couldn't believe what had happened. All three of their children running away form home? And to a place as foreboding as the Well of Souls? What could have come over them?! Why would Rune want to go anywhere NEAR dark dragons again?! He just had to find them! But first, he had to tell the Elders that he planned to leave.

Once Hontus and Seraph landed, they practically ran through the front gate.

"Sir Hontus?" One of the guards asked in confusion.

"No time to explain!" Hontus shouted.

Hontus and Seraph rushed down the hallway. They tried not to smack into anyone, but wound up knocking a few people off their feet anyway.

"Watch it!" An earth dragon snarled.

"Sorry, but it's an emergency!" Hontus called.

After a few more hallways and staircases, the pair arrived at the Elders' floor. Curiously enough, when they came upon the doors into the Elders' Chamber, a commotion could be heard inside. The guards stepped aside so that Hontus and Seraph could enter.

Captain Jules and his wife Mimet were speaking to the Elders. Mimet was Telus's daughter, and had the same color or scales. Four jagged horns pointed upwards atop her head. Her mane was lime green, and fell down to the base of her neck. She wore the same kind of armor as he husband, though she stood taller than him.

"...And we haven't seen them all morning!" Mimet exclaimed.

"And you have no clue where she's gone?" Telus asked.

"All we have is this blasted note!" Jules held up a small scroll before Telus. The elder took the scroll and read it to himself. His expression turned grim, which brought concern to Attonita and Krystallos. Hontus decided that this was a good time to step forwards with Seraph.

"Excuse me, Elders..." Hontus said calmly. All eyes fell on him and Seraph. Jules gave a silent glare.

"Sir Hontus?" Attonita asked. "You're here early. Why did you bring your wife here?"

"We have a dire emergency!" Seraph exclaimed. She hurried up beside Jules and presented the scroll she found. "Our children have run off to-"

"The Well of Souls?" Telus interrupted.

Seraph's eyes widened. She slipped back onto her haunches. "Y-Yes. But how...?"

"I woke up this morning to prepare to investigate the nomads." Jules said. "But when I went to wake up my daughter, I discovered that she wasn't home!" He reached into his pocket to retrieve his pipe. "She left us a scroll, talking about how RUNE ran away from home, and she went with him!"

"What?!" Hontus exclaimed. "Emerald wouldn't do something like that!"

"Evidently, she would." Telus lowered his paw to give the scroll to Hontus. After the fire guardian read it, he exchanged glances with Seraph. The pair then looked over at Jules and Mimet, who weren't pleased.

"Our daughter has run off on some dangerous quest with your children!" Mimet shouted. She stepped forwards to glare into Seraph's eyes.

"Don't you dare take it out on me, Mimet!" Seraph hissed. "I couldn't have known this would happen! And I certainly have no control over YOUR daughter!"

"Stop, STOP!" Hontus shouted. "Fighting over this won't bring our children back!"

"And what will?" Jules snapped. "It was bad enough when I had to worry about dark dragons lurking in my city. Now I have to contend with a missing daughter! What could be worse?!"

"Excuse me..." Voden's voice said. Everyone turned around to see the scholar stepping into the chamber. He was flanked on either side by Roxanne's parents, Terence and Aki.

Terence and Aki ran the Gilded Phoenix tavern. They were a pair of rather homely lightning dragons. Terence was rather rotund for a lightning dragon, while Aki was slender in build. Terence's mane was blue, while Aki's was cream-colored. They both had horns shaped like lightning-bolts, Terence having four and Aki having six.

Both Terence and Aki were upset as they followed Voden into the chamber. Hontus noticed that Aki held a scroll in her jaws, much like the ones Seraph and Mimet had. Hontus placed a paw on Seraph's; he had a feeling he knew what it said.

"What is the problem?" Krystallos asked Voden. He bent his head down to look at the new scroll.

"Elders..." Terence said, taking a deep breath. "Please help us. Our daughter has gone missing!"

Jules's eyes widened. He tried to fumble with his pipe to light it, but Mimet knocked it to the floor and glared at him. Jules gave a low growl of irritation, but said nothing.

Aki stepped forwards and placed her scroll at the elders' forepaws. "We went to wake her up, but she was gone! We found only this scroll in her stead! It... it said she..."

Aki nearly collapsed into tears. Terence hurried to comfort her. Hontus felt Seraph resting against him.

Telus read through the new scroll. He then placed it on the floor, shut his eyes, and shook his head. "They've ALL run away to find the Well of Souls."

"So many upset mothers in one morning." Attonita frowned. "We must do something to help them."

"We need to all stop and think about this." Telus said. "From what these scrolls left by the children say, they've all run off to the Well of Souls. What they intend to do there is a mystery. But it doesn't matter; they need to be brought back home immediately."

"I'll go!" Jules declared. He stepped forwards and stomped his forepaws. "Elders, permit me to venture to the north to find the lost children!"

"Not alone, you won't!" Hontus shouted. "Leaving for the children was originally MY plan!"

"Indeed." Jules gave Hontus an irritated look. "You're heavily involved in this, after all. It's only fitting you come along."

"I'll go as well." Seraph said.

Hontus turned to look at her. "Are you sure, Seraph?"

Seraph took a deep breath. "Sitting and worrying about those three won't solve anything. I need to find them so I can talk to Rune... and tell him I'm sorry."

"Very well, then." Jules grunted. He turned and eyed Terence and Aki. "What about you two?"

The couple wasn't sure of what to do. They looked between themselves and the Guardians.

"We're absolutely terrified for Roxanne!" Aki stepped forwards. "There's no telling what might happen to her if dark dragons are involved."

"I understand your pain, I really do." Telus bowed his head. "But I can't permit either your or your husband to go with them."

"But why?" Terence asked.

"Jules and Hontus are Guardians, and Seraph is the wife of a Guardian. They are well-equipped to this dangerous mission."

"Dangerous?" Seraph repeated. She looked back at the lightning dragons. They were more afraid than ever. Seraph looked back at Telus. "What would make this dangerous?"

"Emerald is my granddaughter, and Rune is the lost prince of the dark dragons. Their status is very likely to attract the wrong kind of attention."

"If that's the case, then we'll need all the help we can get!" Hontus stamped his paws.

"Well then, perhaps your party needs another Guardian!" Voden declared. He stepped forwards to stand beside Hontus. "I gladly volunteer to help them track down the missing children!"

"I accept his aid." Hontus said, nodding in thanks towards Voden.

Telus looked between Attonita and Krystallos. The two nodded their approval. Telus shut his eyes.

"Very well. Hontus, Seraph, Jules, Voden, the four of you shall venture to the north and retrieve the missing children. Be quick, be cautious... and bring them back safely."

"Yes, Sir!" Hontus, Jules and Voden rose a forepaw in the air to salute. Seraph nodded yes behind them. The Guardians turned around and fanned out.

Jules turned towards Mimet, nuzzling her neck. "I'll bring her back home."

"I know you will." Mimet said quietly. "Just promise me you'll keep that pipe out of your mouth. It worries me."

"I'll do my best." Jules kissed Mimet's forehead and backed away.

Meanwhile, Hontus and Seraph looked each other in the eyes.

"I'll protect you every step of the journey until our children are home again." Hontus said, his forepaw over hers.

"And I'll protect you." Seraph nodded.

Voden stood before Terence and Aki, bowing his head to them. "By my honor, I'll put myself in danger in your stead. Your daughter will be brought back home."

"Oh, thank you, sir." Terence shook Voden's paw.

"Be careful." Aki added, tears still in her eyes.

With the Guardians' resolve built, the four dragons left the chamber. In only a few minutes, they were leaving the palace to fly into the sky. Jules flew at the front, Voden at the back, and Hontus and Seraph on either side.

Jules took a deep breath. "Take a long look down at Glenhaven. It may be some time before we return home!"

The other dragons nodded. They took in the sights of their desert city for a brief time. Seraph didn't look down; her focus was on finding her children

 _Blankridge... Nellie... Rune... I'll find you!_

They kept looking it over until they passed over the northern wall. They never looked back.

~~...~~

Warfang; The holy capital of the Dragon Realms.

It was the biggest and oldest city in all the realms. When the Great Cleansing caused the world to be completely rearranged, the old ruins beneath Warfang were lost in the destruction. Luckily, the moles were able to rebuild it under the guidance of the Guardians. Countless towers, spires, and dwellings were built all around the city. The mightiest structure was the massive Dragon Spire, the tallest and widest structure in all the city. Upon that tower sat the Palace of Kings, the ancestral home of Lord Spyro.

It was an average day for the people of Warfang. Dragons, moles, cats, and all other species wandered the many streets. Wagons and carriages went around and about, heading towards a multitude of destinations. Various vendors sold their goods and provided services in exchanged for coins. On the east side of the city, several cheetah soldiers chased after a thief who had stolen a pouch of gold from a humble mole beggar. On the Northwestern side of Warfang, young children played happily in a large park, being watched over by their parents.

And all of this was ruled over by Richteriel.

His scales were a faded green. His bony frame was starkly contrasted by his majestic white armor and robes. Several bulky horns crowned his head, all covered in an assortment of gold rings.

The ancient earth dragon sat on his haunches as he stood in a garden that sat before the entrance to the Spire. Richteriel spoke kindly with the many light dragons of the city as they passed by. He was always willing to speak with the people he and the Warfang Guardians were sworn to protect.

He held a forepaw over the head of a mewling hatchling and offered up a prayer of protection. As he spoke, his voice was ancient and deep.

"...And may the Ancestors guide you through life, little one." He finished saying.

The mother of the hatchling scooped it up and held it closely. The father bowed his head happily. "Thank you, Pappas."

"You're most welcome." Richteriel bowed his head.

Richteriel was blind; he wore a cloth bandage over his eyes. But that didn't stop him from seeing. He had more than enough power over the element of earth to sense the presence of every person and creature in Warfang.

"Pappas" was a title given to Richteriel by the Guardians. After the war ended, the ruling family most of the governing body was gone. The city needed a ruler in its stead, so Richteriel was elected to power by the Guardians.

Richteriel finished speaking to the people of Warfang for the day. He rose his wrinkled old body up to full height and turned around. Several dragons dressed in golden armor surrounded the Pappas to defend him.

"It's quite a lovely day, isn't it?" Richteriel asked. "The sun is beating down on our scales. The wind is blowing fresh and clean..."

"Yes, Pappas. Very pleasant indeed." One of the guards, a fire dragon, said. Richteriel turned to face him with a smirk.

"I'm glad you think so, Marcus." Richteriel nodded. He twisted his neck to the side, snapping a few cricks. "I could use a relaxing rest. Escort me to my bedchambers."

"As you wish, Pappas." The guards stood at attention and began marching. Richteriel took only a few steps forwards when someone shouted to him from behind.

"Lord Pappas! We beg a moment of your time!"

"Hmm?" Richteriel turned around to face who was addressing him.

A grey-haired wolf and a pair of bright-colored cheetahs had just dismounted from white horses. The trio stepped forwards, saluting the Pappas as he faced them.

"Who might you be?" Richteriel asked.

The wolf was dressed in a red cloak with an insignia shaped like a red talon. A satchel hung over his shoulder, and brown sandals covered his feet. His arms and shins were wrapped in leather clothe. The cheetahs wore similar outfits.

The wolf got down onto one knee and saluted the Pappas.

"I am Ziruk. These are Orion and Raminas. We are scouts, sent here from the kingdom of Ignys. It's vitally important that you heard our message, my Pappas!"

"Did King Horus send you?" Richteriel asked curiously.

"No, my lord..." Ziruk's voice turned grave. "King Horus... has been murdered."

A murmur quickly spread through the garden. dragons gasped and spoke amongst themselves, especially Richteriel's guards. A sneer crossed the Pappas's face. Ziruk took a brown scroll from his satchel and presented it to one of the guards.

"It happened nearly a week ago." The wolf said. "Someone descended on King Horus while he was in his personal chambers. Witnesses saw flashes of dark energy coming from the windows and heard screaming. But by the time soldiers rushed in, the attacker was long gone."

The guard who had the scroll read the report aloud to Richteriel. The ancient dragon gave a low growl.

"By the Ancestors..." He scowled.

"King Horus was run through the heart with a sword." Ziruk said. "His face was frozen in horror. And beside the body was a message written in blood..." The wolf took a deep breath. "It said, ' _The others are next'_."

"I see..." Richteriel took a breath. He stamped his forepaw, ending the murmuring of his guards. "All of you, be silent."

"None of the king's belongings were damaged or stolen, save for one thing." The wolf reached into his satchel. "A single coin was found, broken in half and lying on the bed next to the body."

The Pappas jerked forwards and snatched the coin halves right from the wolf's paws. The scout gasped and stepped back. Richteriel gave the halves a quick look. Put together, the halves formed a coin that was significantly larger than average. Once side was gold, and the other silver. Both sides were completely blank, save for the crack where it was split in two.

Richteriel stowed away the shards in a pocket. "How many know about the coin?"

"Only the king's family, my Pappas." Ziruk bowed his head. "They've sent scouts to all the leaders of the major cities, asking for help and to keep watch for the assassins."

"I see..." Richteriel nodded. "Are there any clues as to who the responsible party are?"

"One witness claimed to see an individual fleeing from the palace. It was a large dragon, dressed in bizarre robes that covered every inch of their body."

"Dark grey robes?" Richteriel insisted.

"I can't be sure, sir."

"Very well, then." Richteriel stood tall. "I will do what I can to keep an eye out for the assassins."

"Thank you for your help, Pappas." The three scouts bowed together.

Richteriel bid them goodbye and turned around. He slowly walked towards a pair of doors at the base of the Dragon Spire, his guards still all around him. As he walked, a low growl rose from his throat...

~~...~~

Richteriel and some of his guards rode in a great stone elevator up the bulk of the Dragon Spire. It was powered by earth magic so that it glided gently up to the Palace of Kings up above.

"This place is amazing..." The guard named Marcus marveled at everything around him.

"Indeed." Richteriel chuckled. "Tell me, how long have you been in Warfang, Marcus?"

"I've been here for a few weeks now, Pappas." Marcus bowed his head. "I've heard many stories about Warfang, but I never thought I'd get to see the sights up close."

"Warfang is a beauty, sure." Richteriel chuckled. "Though it didn't always look this way."

"It didn't, sir?"

"No, not at all. Hundreds of years ago, Warfang was built by the moles to thank the dragons for their friendship. But after the world was reshaped 150 years ago, Warfang was totaled."

"By the ancestors!" Marcus exclaimed. "But, who rebuilt it?"

"The moles, of course. An old ruin was discovered beneath Mount Boyzitbig when the mountain was torn asunder. The moles found plans for several dragon cities, all created by an ancient architect named Desysto. The moles set to work rebuilding Warfang, and the other dragon cities as well."

"Amazing..." Marcus said.

"Indeed it is. I never get tired of telling that story." Richteriel chuckled.

They rode in silence as the elevator reached the top of the Spire, where the Palace of Kings sat in splendor. It was great and wide, a fortress unto itself.

A pair of doors opened up, and Richteriel and his guards exited the elevator. Richteriel walked calmly and briskly down the extravagant hallways on his way to the center of the palace. The Pappas and his guards passed by many dragons, adult and child alike, as they went about their duties.

"I'm to understand that your little brother is a student here, right Marcus?" Richteriel asked.

"Yes, Pappas." Marcus said.

"Good, good." Richteriel nodded. "I imagine he's catching up on his studies just fine. It can't be easy leaving home on such short notice."

"It isn't, Pappas." Marcus stepped a bit ahead of Richteriel. He seemed to be wiping his eyes.

"Well, I hope the two of you enjoy your new home."

"Thank you, my lord."

Richteriel and his guards came upon a doorway in the center of the palace. He came to a stop before the doors. When he spoke, his voice turned serious.

"I wish to remain alone for a moment." He said. "Send word to the Guardians that I demand to speak with them IMMEDIATELY."

"Yes, Pappas!" The guards saluted. They scrambled to call forth the guardians. When he was alone, Richteriel pushed the doors open and ventured inside.

~~...~~

Four aged dragons sat upon separate golden cushions, while the Pappas sat upon a large ivory throne.

The shining golden floor was polished to a mirror-like sheen, broken only by a silver band etched around the perimeter. The walls were plated with gold and silver in intricate patterns. High above the ceiling bore the painting of a golden dragon impaling a black dragon through the chest. Several windows exposed the chamber to the sky above.

Richteriel looked about the room as the assembled dragons, the Guardians of Warfang. "Welcome, old friends."

"Good day, Pappas." The Guardians replied, bowing their heads.

"What matter warrants this gathering?" A brown dragon asked.

"My brothers, a serious threat to our prosperity has struck." Richteriel said. "It's come to my attention that our brother Horus has been murdered."

The guardians were silent for a time.

"How, and when?!" A blue dragon demanded.

"Peace, Aecor." Richteriel put a forepaw in the air. "Give me time to show you..."

Richteriel raised a forepaw up to the sky. A small beam of golden energy came shining down from the sun. The beam struck the floor in a flash of light. Moments later, the image of a middle-aged fire dragon appeared before the others. It was King Horus, fighting helplessly against some unseen force.

"From what I can gather," Richteriel said, "this took place six days ago. Right in his own bedchamber."

Horus's last action was pulling something from a pocket and using all of his strength to break it in half. Horus immediately vanished, with nothing but a faint roar of agony echoing through the throne room. The guardians looked between each other in disgust and anger.

"Who could possibly launch an attack on Horus?!" The brown dragon demanded.

"There is only one answer, Montem." Richteriel stamped his forepaws. "The Black King has returned."

The air around the dragons grew colder. Montem let loose a growl and shot to his paws.

"Nonsense! The dark dragons were all exterminated years ago!"

"Six years, to be exact." Richteriel stated. "And do you remember what we were told?"

"You mean Bergan's vision?" The fire dragon asked.

"Indeed, Apellion." Richteriel nodded. "Years ago, Bergan told us that the black dragon king would return six years after the fall of the dark dragons. As King Horus's murder has proven, the Black King has indeed returned, and he's seeking us out."

"Surely we can stop him." The lightning dragon said. "None can combat the Order on their own."

"He is **not** alone, Odynne." Richteriel snapped. "Witnesses reported seeing a dragon in dark robes fleeing the scene before vanishing. It's possible that the king has followers, and they're helping him carry out his work."

"How can we find them?" The ice dragon asked, wracking his talons on the floor.

"We need to send out a warning to the rest of our brothers." Richteriel said. "They must be wary of suspicious characters lurking about the lands. Remnants of the dark infestation could be anywhere."

"Understood." The guardians spoke in unison.

Richteriel reached into his pocket and retrieved a complete silver-gold coin. The others drew coins of their own, holding them to the sky. The Pappas spoke in the ancient draconian language.

"Tymquam longus tymquam Tenebra tymen accola in..."

 _ **As long as darkness still lives on...**_

"Lux voluntas nymquam quiesco," spoke the guardians.

 _ **...Light will never rest.**_

"So long as I sit upon this throne," Richteriel said calmly, "that black-hided monster will not rule this city. The Order of Culmubrae will prevail!"

The guardians gave roars of pride and strength. The Order had ruled over the dragon realms for years, and they weren't about to die out now.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

This chapter is rather short, I know. I guess they can't all be in the 6000 range. In any case, the final pieces of the "Act One Puzzle" have been put in place. All of the parties are off on their adventures. Now it's time to see how they all play out. See you next week!

 _Tenebra ece Veritas_


	10. Act 1, Chapter 9

Albanion, Elza and Aegis flew northeast with great haste.

Not a word was spoken the entire time, nor did they stop for rest. For three days they had travelled to evade anyone following from Glenhaven. As the sun began to rise on the fourth morning, the trio came to a stop by a river and a patch of grass.

Aegis stretched out his back, while Albanion and Elza sat upon overturned stumps.

"Curse this foul desert weather." Elza sighed, shaking the sand out of her mane. "It's too hot and itchy out here! How can anyone stand it?!"

"Some are just used to it." Aegis said. "Why else would townships be built out in the desert?"

"Because they're crazy." Elza muttered under her breath, only to catch sand in her muzzle. She reeled back with harsh coughs.

"Careful there." Aegis chuckled.

Albanion held a forepaw before himself, creating a black orb of energy. He enshrouded himself in the darkness, and soon emerged in the form of a lime-green dragon with blue eyes. Once Elza had cleaned out her muzzle, she too created a shroud of darkness, and became an orange dragoness with hazel eyes. Aegis took a sip of water before performing the magic and becoming a lightning dragon.

Elza stretched out her neck and looked herself over in her reflection. "I can't wait to be out of this place."

Albanion looked over his robes. He tapped the front of his chest with a talon and shut his eyes to concentrate. The place where he tapped changed from grey to a bright brown. The new color spread quickly over the robes. The covering on his tail faded away like mist, and the cloth solidified just over the tail-base. The sleeves became shorter, wider and lighter in weight.

Albanion nodded in satisfaction and looked over his companions. They had followed suit, using their dark magic to change their robes in the same manner. Aegis tucked his single wing beneath his robes.

"Our supplies are dwindling." Aegis said. "We'll need to make for a border town to replenish them."

"Agreed." Elza said with a nod.

"And perhaps the prince is hiding there." Albanion stepped away from the river. "It wouldn't hurt to search. But we mustn't stay still for too long, even with our new facades."

"I'll have to travel on foot." Aegis said, taking a deep breath. "I've exhausted quite a bit of magic keeping myself aloft for so long."

"I understand." Albanion turned around. "We'll take some time to relax, and then continue on foot."

After a light rest, the trio continued their trek for the rest of the morning. It seemed like an eternity to Elza, who could feel the harsh sun beating down on her neck. She cursed herself for enduring this climate. She never wanted to set foot on the southern continent again. Not after what became of her homeland. But she had to find her dear nephew before the Order did. Elza hadn't gone a moment without thinking of Rune, either. She was heartbroken that Rune didn't come with them, and it pained her to leave him behind. Whenever her mission was complete, Elza would go back to Glenhaven and find Rune. She would reunite Elenar's sons if it was the last thing she did!

While Elza was lost in her thoughts, she noticed something in the distance. She squinted, trying to make it out.

A group of a dozen or so white tents were set up in neat rows and columns near a large oasis and an adjacent river. Several cheetahs and dragons were hard at work dismantling the tents into neat piles. Some cheetahs were chopping piles of wood, while others organized supplies around the tents. A few fire dragons were starting up campfires a little further out near the river. A train of camels were drinking from the water.

"What is it?" Aegis asked curiously.

"It looks like a camp of some sort." Elza said, flapping her wings.

"Excellent." Albanion grinned.

The dragons slowly approached the nomad camp. A few of the cheetahs gathering wood spotted the trio and watched them arrive. When Albanion and his companions were close enough, several nomads in brown cloth approached them.

"Who are ye?" One of the nomads demanded.

"We're just some travelers, passing through." Albanion bowed his head. "Sorry to disturb you. We're a group of humble magicians, making our way north."

"What brings a group of magicians out here in the desert on foot?" A red dragon huffed, staring at them suspiciously. "Wouldn't travel by carriage be safer and easier?"

"We haven't made enough life gems to afford transportation." Aegis answered.

"Understandable." A cheetah said. He hefted his axe over his shoulder. "Those city folk gouge for more life gems than is fair to expect."

"My we stop here to purchase some water?" Albanion asked.

"What do you have to trade in return?" The red dragon asked, looking the trio up and down. Albanion reached into his satchel and produces a bag of coins.

"These aren't life gems, but I'm sure we can do business."

"What is gold worth in the desert?" The red dragon asked with a chuckle. "Before you offer us coin, let's see what goods you have to trade first."

"I have strips of leather." Aegis said, reaching for his satchel. "As well as a few precious stones."

"Let's see these stones."

Aegis opened his satchel and presented his stones to the drake. He looked through them quickly, and snorted. There weren't enough to be of an interested.

"Fine, let's talk of your coin, then." The red drake said with a huff.

"How much for three water-skins full?" Albanion asked.

"Hmm..." The drake glanced at the trio, sizing them up. He then looked down at their water-skins. "Eight silver pieces. Dragons your size need a lot of water."

Albanion pulled eight silver coins form his pouch and gave them to the nomad. "There you go, sir."

The drake accepted the coins, and then led the dragons over to where they kept their barrels of stored water.

As they were following the nomad, Elza spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Off on the outskirts of the encampment were two small dragon cubs, each roughly eight years old. The boy had bright yellow scales, while the girl had sky blue scales. They seemed to be standing over a few plants in the sand, giggling to themselves.

"Albanion..." Elza whispered into the green drake's ear frill. He stopped to look at her. Elza directed his gaze towards the children, and he frowned.

"Go and get your water." Albanion said to her. The dragoness nodded and pulled out her water-skin. Elza continued to stare at the younglings, something tugging at the back of her mind.

His curiosity piqued, Albanion took careful steps closer to the cubs. The boy was waving his forepaw over the plant, his tongue lolling out in what looked like concentration. While Albanion wasn't looking, the large red drake moved to intercept him.

"AHEM." He said.

Albanion blinked and looked up at him. "Are those your children?"

The nomadic dragon nodded back at the little girl. "The girl's my daughter. But just what do you think you're doing? The water is over that way!"

Albanion leaned over to watch. As the yellow cub concentrated, the tiny plant started twitching. The boy's forepaw shook as the plant grew a few inches higher, much to the girl's delight.

The red drake noticed Albanion's gaze shifting and moved to block the view once more. "Come on, or do you not want any of your water?"

Albanion sidestepped the nomadic drake to watch more. The yellow cub made the plant grow a bit higher.

"My my, what a trick." Albanion nodded.

"Yes, it is." The red dragon hissed. "You magicians could learn a thing or two." The nomad forcibly nudged Albanion away from the scene and looked him in the eyes. "Now can we move on?"

"His technique needs some work, though." Albanion said.

"What?" The nomad blinked in confusion.

Albanion waved a forepaw towards the plant. Within moments, it sprouted upwards with rapid speed, transforming into a fully-grown cactus. The two children leapt back in amazement.

The red drake turned around and rubbed his eyes, as if unsure if what he saw was real. "What the...?"

Albanion stepped up and whispered into the nomad's ear frill. "Your outward appearance is merely a shroud, isn't it?"

"A... A shroud..." The nomad's eyes narrowed. He lowered his own voice to a whisper. "Are you saying...?"

"Daddy, come look at what Rallo did!" The girl cup called, waving at the red drake.

"I see, Lillia." The nomad smiled and nodded, but didn't move from his spot. He turned back to Albanion. "Are you...?"

"My name is Albanion. My two companions are Elza, and Aegis."

"Greetings, Albanion." The nomad bowed his head. "I'm known as Harlon, and this is our tribe."

"How many of you are there?" Albanion asked.

"Three dozen or so, not counting the cubs." Harlon proceeded to walk forwards.. "It's been too long since I last met a dark dragon from outside of our camp."

Albanion followed after him. "You've integrated yourselves very well."

"Thank you." Harlon bowed again. "Tell me, do you have any news of our fellows? We haven't have much contact ever since we lost Warfang. The desert is nearly void of life, as you may well have noticed."

"Things are... complicated." Albanion's face became grave. "There's been a murder of the king of Ignys."

Harlon frowned. "Truly? These must be difficult times."

"It's worse than you know. Horus's murder was only the beginning."

"What do you mean? How could it get any worse than that?"

Albanion didn't answer. His talons dug into the sand, and his eyes darted from left to right. He took a deep breath and looked Harlon in the eyes. "Pray that Lady Cynder can shelter you from the whole truth."

Harlon's expression deepened. "What's going on out there? Should we turn back and cancel our journey?"

"That all depends." Albanion looked into Harlon's eyes. "Where are you headed?"

"At the moment we're heading for the port town of Ganulha." Harlon said, motioning towards the north with a forepaw. "We'll be taking one of the ships to the northern continent. The town of Navord, to be exact."

"Is it alright if my companions and I accompany you?" Albanion asked. "We're searching for someone, and have had little luck in finding him for quite some time."

Harlon thought about it for a moment. "If you don't' mind doing some of the work around here, and paying your share to get on the ship, then we can make room for you."

"As you wish." Albanion nodded yes.

"Dadiiiiiiie!" The girl cub cried. She came running up to Harlon, her forepaw limping. "I pricked my paw on the cactus!"

Harlon sighed. "Don't worry, dear. Let's go get a bandage for that." He looked up at Albanion. "And while we're at it, you can say hello to the newest addition to the tribe."

The cub looked up at Albanion, wiping tears from her eyes with her other forepaw. "H... Hello?"

Albanion chuckled. "Hello there, little one."

Harlon walked around them to lead the way back to camp. "Everyone! It looks like we have a few new members to our little group! Say hello to Albanion and his friends!"

Some of the crowd stopped what they were doing and looked over at Harlon and Albanion. Some of them chattered quietly.

"I take it you're the leader." Albanion said.

"One of them." Harlon said. "That cheetah over there is the other one. I hold sway over the dragons, and he commands the cheetahs."

"I'll respect your commands, but Elza and Aegis report directly to me."

"I understand. Just so long as you three respect the rules around here, and the other nomads, then there will be no problem." Harlon pulled his cub up by her scruff and carried her into the tribe.

"Of course." Albanion said behind him.

As Harlon attended to his daughter's paw, Albanion walked off to find Elza and Aegis. His thoughts temporarily drifted back to the fate of King Horus.

Troubling times are head.

~~...~~

The next two days were spent travelling across the desert. Albanion and his companions walked alongside Harlon. They walked amongst a train of camels as they traveled to the north. Elza moaned as the heat continued to assail her, her tongue lolling out as she panted. Harlon reached over and shut her muzzle for her, causing her ton yelp as she nipped her tongue.

"Easy there." Aegis warned. "Elza's tongue is a rarity."

Elza smirked. "Some tell me it's made of silver." She winked over at Albanion. He ignored the gesture and instead focused on Harlon.

"Tell me, Harlon." He said, stepping closer. "How long has your tribe been travelling?"

"Quite a long time." Harlon murmured. "Almost as long as I can remember. Though, I know it all started back during the war. My family decided against living in any of the major cities. We knew it wasn't safe in Faeshrine anymore. So, my father decided to have us intermingle with Azrual's family, who were making an exodus from Avalar."

"Why wouldn't your family stay with the Dark Dragon Monarchy?" Elza asked. "I mean, in hindsight it was for the best, I suppose. But why didn't they go then, when it was supposed to be a safe haven?"

"I guess my father didn't like the idea of living so high up above ground. He always told me to keep my feet planted on the ground."

"I guess I can understand that." Elza replied with a shrug. Aegis grunted and rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

"For a time, it was just our two families. But as the days turned to months, we met several other refugees looking for homes after the war. our numbers grew from there as the years went by. I took my father's place as the leader when he passed away."

Elza nodded, glancing around at the other nomads. She stepped over to Albanion, wanting to be near him. The dragons all walked in mostly silence for a while, until they came upon the town of Ganulha.

Ganulha was seated just to the east of a large rock formation and overlooked the central ocean. A large river cut through the middle of town and led straight into the ocean, effectively dividing the town in half. A tall lighthouse stood high upon the edge of the rock formation, illuminating the cloudy sky. The side closest to the sea was dank and miserable, while the side furthers from the ocean appeared much cleaner. The houses were wonderfully painted, and the streets were kept clean with solid construction.

"This doesn't seen like the right place for a fleet of ships." Elza said as she examined the town.

On the eastern side of the town, a segment of a pathway into Ganulha was paved over, and railroad tracks were built onto it. canines and earth dragons were hard at work paving over more land, while other workers hammered nails into new segments of tracks. The sound of clinking could be heard all the way across to the nomads.

"Ganulha looks rather industrious for such a small town." Aegis said curiously.

"I've heard that the FTC is funding the work, using old designs found in Mt. Boyzitbig." Harlon said. "They hope to expand the railroads across the lands in the coming decade."

"Indeed..." Albanion snorted.

The tribe made their way into the main gate of town. As they entered the city, Aegis stepped up to Harlon. "What ship will we be boarding?"

"We're going to speak with sailors of the _Red Queen_ , the flagship of Commander Saul's fleet." Harlon straightened his robes.

Albanion's eyes went wide. "Commander Saul?"

"Aye. We sent him a message to him requesting passage about a week ago. He presumably has been waiting for us to arrive while his fleet was docked in the Ganulha's port."

Aegis and Elza glanced at each other anxiously. But they said nothing as the group kept walking.

A large shipward stretched across the ocean's edge at the northwestern side of the town. A few warehouses lined the opposite side of the wharves. Various naval ships were lined up in the docks. A few slipways had small boats being loaded into the water, while larger war vessels were being prepared further down the line. A great number of dragons and wolves made their way up and down the docks, most of them sailors preparing the fleet to disembark.

Elza shuffled over to Albanion and whispered carefully into his ear frill. "Should we be worried, Albanion?" She glanced around the docks, trying to find the Red Queen.

"No." He answered with a nod. "But we _will_ be cautious."

Azruel the cheetah, and a few of his fellow cats, broke off from the group. Azruel himself approached Harlon and motioned towards the large sack slung over his back. "We're going to barter for more food and water for the journey."

Harlon nodded. "Meet us at the Red Queen when you're done. Don't take too long, though. We leave at high tide in a few hours."

Azruel nodded and left with his group. Harlon and the rest of the tribe made for the end of the docks.

The Red Queen was berthed on the westernmost edge of the docks. It was the biggest airship build in recent history, dwarfing eve the largest buildings in Ganulha. True to its name, the vessel sported a vibrant red finish. The ship's eight sails were dyed a rich crimson, and the largest sail was embroidered with an inverted circle bisected by a yellow line; the symbol of the Earth Clan. Two dozen cannons lined each side of the ship. A plank led from the side down to the loading dock.

Harlon waved his forepaw, stopping the tribe to wait by the wharf. The chief turned and approached a pair of earth dragons blocking the gang plank.

"Halt." They ordered. "Who goes there?"

"I am Harlon, dragon chief of the Fire-Claw nomads." Harlon bowed his head and saluted. "We arranged passage with Commander Saul."

The guards exchanged glances. "We'll need to make sure you're legit, mate."

One of the two turned to walk onto the ship. Harlon waited, tapping a claw on the wharf. Albanion and Elza waited a shirt distance behind him, and Aegis looked around at the sights of the port town. His nostrils wrinkled at the smell of fish and salt.

Harlon huffed impatiently. The remaining guard said nothing.

"I fear we'll be here for a while." Albanion snorted.

~~...~~

The captain's quarters were incredibly spacious. The floors and walls were made of fine polished wood. A massive, brown desk sat in the center, backed by a wall of thick viewing glass overlooking the docks. Seated at the desk was Commander Saul.

Saul was an earth dragon in his late thirties. His build was large and thick, as were the two emerald-green horns on the sides of his head. A rugged brown bear grew from his chin, and he had a thick mane that hid the bases of his horns. A glowing glyph in the shape of an Inverted Circle shined on the back of his neck. A cape covered his back, decorated with the same symbol.

Saul looked over the papers scattered haphazardly across his desk. He sneered as he reread the ropt on the murder of King Horus.

"Inexcusable." He snarled. Saul was distracted by a knock on the door. "Who goes there?"

"Sir, we have a group of nomads claiming to have an appointment with you." A guard said from behind the door.

"Hmm?" Saul thought for a moment, and then realization dawned. "Ah, the nomad tribe who sent us the message. Find lieutenant Goast and have him handle it."

"Aye aye, sir." The guard replied. Once the guard left, Saul resumed his analysis of his papers.

Saul snarled, his talons tearing at the wood of his desk. He whispered to himself in anger. "I know you killed him. You can't hide forever."

Sauil got up from his desk, gathered his papers into a folder, and left his quarters. After locking the door, he turned and inspected the deck. Water dragons were tending to the floor, while cheetahs and wolves prepared the sails and masts. Saul walked up a nearby staircase towards the stern of the ship. There, behind the sailing wheel and surrounded by guards, were Olivia and Jonathan.

Olivia was Saul's wife. She was wide and curvaceous for an earth dragoness. Four slender horns bent out upon her head. Her cherry-red mane and purple eyes gave her a youthful expression despite her age. She wore all sorts of jewelry on her horns and ankles, and a red scars was draped around her neck.

Saul's son Jonathan was a little over fourteen years old. He had his father's mane and his mother's eyes. Four silver horns grew from the sides of his head, all bending downwards towards his neck. He wore a white cape over his back which bore the family symbol. Various pieces of silver jewelry decorated his horns, like his mother.

Olivia was busy fussing with the string on Jonathan's cape. The young dragon kept shaking his legs back and forth, a frustrated expression on his muzzle.

"Can you please hold still?" She demanded, nearly pricking the young dragon with a talon. "I'm trying to get this on just right, and your fidgeting isn't helping."

"Hurry up, Mom!" Jonathan complained.

"I'm nearly done. You just need to be patient." Olivia finished tying the strings into a neat bow and stood upright. "There."

Jonathan scratched behind his ear frill. "Why do I have to wear this thing on a boat?"

"You're the son of the commander." Olivia huffed. "You need to look your best." She gave Jonathan a critical eye. "And you 'accidentally' left all of the nice clothes we bought you back home."

"Uh..." Jonathan stammered, his eyes darting away. "I'm sorry?"

Olivia snorted. "I'm sure you are. Now go run off and find something useful to do. Or at least stay out of trouble."

"Okay!" Jonathan turned to run off, only to be flanked by Saul. He looked up with a smile. "Oh, hi Dad."

Saul smiled. "Hey, Johnny." He leaned down to give his son an affectionate nuzzle on the forehead. "Giving your mother a hard time again?"

"Pfft. Yeah." Jonathan rolled his eyes. "She made me sit for half an hour while she was adjusting my cape. A whole half hour!"

Saul chuckled. "Well, that's one more half hour of your tutoring lessons, then."

"Aw, come on, Dad!" Jonathan complained. "We're still doing that? Even on this voyage?"

"You said you wanted to come with us on our trip to Warfang this year." Saul said, waving a talon in the air. "I told you that you'd have to make up for schoolwork you missed, via tutoring."

Jonathan grumbled under his breath and kicked a loose coil of rope. Saul merely chuckled.

"Now now, don't be like that. Just head downstairs to your quarters; the tutor will be with you shortly, Johnny."

Jonathan stamped down the stairs, still muttering to himself about the 'injustice of it all'. Saul watched him go, just glad his son had his health. Saul then walked across the stern to look out at sea. Olivia joined him by his side with a low purr.

Some time later, the nomads approached the docks. Saul watched them as Goast, another earth dragon, spoke to the nomads' chief. Goast seemed to be directing half of them towards a nearby boat. The chief was helping him direct the nomads onto the ships, figuring out which groups were the best ones to work together. The older males of the tribe made their way onto the Red Queen.

"Commander!" Someone shouted to catch Saul's attention.

"What is it?" Saul grunted as he faced the speaker.

"Sir! The seas have quieted, but I can still see black cloud banks on the horizon!"

"Very well. Prepare to set sail, men!" Saul called out.

The last of the nomads rushed to the ships with their new supplies, and quickly arranged themselves so that they were on their properly assigned ships. Once everyone was on board, the crew got to work. Saul stood behind the wheel as the lines were cast off.

An hour later, the Red Queen was at sea. It was followed by the rest of Saul's fleet shortly afterwards. The seven ships began their voyage across the ocean.

~~...~~

About a day had passed. The coastline had long since vanished from view. The Red Queen and its fleet were sailing to the north. During the voyage, a stream of storm clouds began floating in from the southeast. At first, they merely crept along the horizon, but by noon they had stretched across the sky. Waves started tossing the fleet, though the water dragons did their best to keep the waves under control.

Saul and one of his lieutenants stood at the bow, looking out at sea. High above, the twin moons were just barely visible behind the curtain of grey.

"The weather has been particularly disturbing of late." Saul said, eyeing the waves off in the distance. "Those blasted moons..."

"The waves have done a number on all the sailing routes." The lieutenant said.

"We must continue onward." Saul stamped his paw. "We've never turned back before. The waves are not our masters!"

Meanwhile, Albanion, Elza and Aegis stood on the portside deck of the ship. Elza gazed over the railing, staring at the grey horizon. Her stomach rumbled, and she gave a grimace.

"I have a bad feeling..." She murmured to her companions.

"You mean about Commander Saul?" Aegis whispered.

"No, this whole voyage." Elza glanced over her shoulder at the bank of clouds. "And _that_ isn't helping."

"We could just split off once we reach shore." Aegis said. "We don't have to go along with the nomads while we search for the prince."

"It's the getting to shore that's worrying me." Elza huffed, turning away from the rail. "Something's itching at my gut, but I don't know what. Something's telling me that there's trouble brewing on this ship."

Elza took a deep breath and turned towards Albanion. He had been staring out at the ocean in deep, silent thought for the entire time. Elza stepped up next to him, their flanks nearly touching.

"A nice view, isn't it?" She asked.

"I suppose." Albanion muttered. He looked down at her, and she looked back with concern.

"What's on your mind, Albanion?"

"Saul." He answered. "The sailors have spread quite an interesting rumor about him in regards to the late king Horus."

"Oh?" Elza tilted her head.

"Take a listen." Albanion motioned with a wing. Off on the other side of the deck, a few sailors were talking amongst themselves while mopping the floor.

"...They say the Commander left Aeroshard almost the same day he heard the news." A water dragon said to a wolf.

"I heard he knows who did it." The wolf replied. "That's why he took an entire war fleet. So he could bring the assassin to justice."

"Who do you think did it?" The dragon asked.

"I don't know, but whoever did must have been completely insane." The wolf through his arms out. "Who in their right mind would murder a king? That's basically a declaration of war!"

"Well, why do you think he's going after the killers?" The dragon nodded. "Aeroshard and Ignys are allies, after all."

"I know, I know..." The wolf waved him off. "But I'm not really looking forward to another war..."

At that moment, Saul himself walked right past the sailors. They jumped in shock and hastily saluted their commander.

"S-Sir!" They declared nervously. The commander cocked an eye ridge in annoyance.

"Get back to work." He ordered.

The sailors hastened their mopping as Saul walked through a hatch to the lower deck. Albanion watched the commander descend, a paw running along his chin.

"We need to see just how much Saul knows." Albanion whispered, turning back towards the sea. "It could prove problematic if these rumors are true."

Elza sighed. "All right, I'll look into it tonight."

"No." Albanion shook his head. "We must find out immediately."

"Understood. But how are we going to follow him without being seen?"

Albanion turned back around towards Aegis. "Aegis, follow me."

Aegis nodded, and the two drakes walked towards the trapdoor. Albanion looked back at Elza. "You stay back here to keep watch."

Elza nodded and sat on her haunches. Albanion walked by the mopping sailors and walked down the staircase beneath the trapdoor. Aegis followed behind, glancing back at Elza as he disappeared below deck.

The pair saw Saul up ahead. The hallway was narrow, with a dark wooden floor pattern. The walls were illuminated by lanterns hung from the ceiling. A dozen or so doors split off towards other sections of the ship. Several sailors, most of them wolves, were on patrol in the hallway. They stopped and saluted Saul as he walked past.

As Saul kept walking ahead, Albanion and Aegis stopped.

"We need a distraction." Albanion whispered.

"Leave it to me." Aegis turned away form the sailors and lifted a forepaw in the air. With his eyes focused on the far end of the hall, Aegis created an aura of energy around his talons. The sailor furthest from them suddenly slammed into the right wall. Another sailor fell backwards, as if he were shoved over. A few of the other sailors snarled in anger. Their eyes focused first on the empty air of the hall, then focused on Albanion and Aegis.

"HALT!" One of them roared before charging towards them.

Albanion jerked back in alarm. The sailors all rushed towards the two drakes... and then ran right past them.

"Stop, you!" One shouted.

"Stowaway!" Another hissed.

Albanion watched as the sailors chased after their "invisible" foe. He looked up at Aegis. "What did you do?"

"I created an illusion for them to hound after." Aegis smirked. "It should buy us some time."

The two dragons continued down the hallway. They stopped before a large door that Saul had gone through moments before. Aegis leaned an ear frill against the door, and Albanion peered through the keyhole.

Saul was standing in the middle of the room, facing a wall outside Albanion's view. The commander was holding a gold-colored lantern emitting bright light. He swung the lantern from side to side, chanting to himself.

"Loqui ad mea Dominus."

Aegis looked to Albanion, wondering if he understood what was being said.

"It's ancient draconic." Albanion whispered. "It means 'Speak to my master'."

Aegis frowned, but nodded. He kept listening at the door.

After a moment, Saul put down the lantern. A golden mist appeared before Saul, partially beyond Albanion's vision. The mist grew bigger and wider, until an aged voice spoke from it.

"Saul?"

The commander bowed his head down. "Greetings, Pappas Richteriel."

"This had better be important." Richteriel demanded. "I was in the middle of a charity session."

"I bear new in regards to the investigations." Saul said.

"Oh you do, eh?" Richteriel questioned.

Aegis's frown burrowed.

"It's my belief that the killer's base of operations is somewhere on the northern continent." Saul declared.

"That's a nonsensical notion." The aged voice snapped. "We control every inch of land across the northern region. There's nowhere for the black beast and his ilk to hide."

"Ah, but what of the northeast?" Saul asked. "The mushroom forest is a massive expanse. Any creatures could be hiding there."

"The mushroom forest is one of the most deadly expanses in the dragon realms." Richteriel said. "It's home to a number of wicked savages and ferocious monstrosities. What demented fool would make his home there?"

"You never know, my Pappas." Saul said. "But in any case, it's little more than an educated guess. The black king's hideout my be there, but I need time to pinpoint the location. I'll perform an investigation once my men arrive in Warfang."

"are you absolutely sure you can locate the murderer?" The elder drake asked.

"With time, I'll find the bastard and avenge Horus's murder." Saul said with confidence. "You can be sure of that."

"You had best be right, Saul." Richteriel scoffed. "It's only a matter of time before he strikes again."

Albanion sneered. He backed up from the door and turned to walk away.

"This isn't good." He whispered. "If he knows that His Highness killed Horus, we'll need to throw him off the scent."

"What do you have in mind?" Aegis whispered back as he followed him.

"Nothing yet, but I will soon."

Aegis nodded in understanding. "We should go, before we're caught."

"Aye." Albanion turned to walk back towards the stairs. He looked back only once at Saul's doorway.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I've been working hard on how to structure each of the remaining chapters of Act One.. I hope to keep things interesting before the first act ends on something increidbly dramatic. Next week, we return to Rune and his four friends as they travel across the Concurrent Skies to the city of Crossgale. See you next week!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	11. Act 1, Chapter 10

For almost three days, Rune and his friends had flown to the north.

The burning sands of the Arcus Desert soon eventually gave way to the white sands of the realm known as the Concurrent Skies.

Concurrent Skies was the land of the lightning dragons for many years. Those dragons were once driven out by the apes, but Spyro and Cynder helped the lightning dragons reclaim their homeland. Great blue crystals dotted the landscape as far as the eye could see. Among those crystals were black towers, between which were many bridges built high over the crystals. Many of the bridges built created "highway" which led to the city of Crossgale to the north. Pathways were dug into the ground covered in sand; a relic from ages long past. Lightning darted between all the crystals and towers, pulled straight out of the storm clouds overhead.

Rune, Nellie, Blankridge, Emerald and Roxanne had been flying over the crystals for hours. Rune insisted on keeping his distance from the towers; he didn't want anyone seeing him. The girls listened to him, but Blankridge was hesitant.

Things seemed fine at first. But then Rune felt a rumbling in his stomach and aching in his limbs. He was getting tired, and he hadn't eaten in a long while. He glanced amongst his friends. Nellie was panting as she tried to keep up. Emerald was nudging Nellie with her head to keep her in the air. Roxanne seemed to gain a bit of energy from the lightning, but her flight pattern was erratic. Even Blankridge was having trouble staying airborne.

"Hey, guys, let's rest for a bit!" Rune exclaimed.

"Sounds fine to me." Emerald said, shaking weariness from her eyes.

"Where should we land?" Nellie asked.

Rune and the others looked around at the landscape. Roxanne chirped and flapped her wings. "Hey, how about that clearing?!"

"I'm not so sure..." Emerald sneered.

"Who care?" Blankridge flew right by her towards the clearing. "I could use a nap!"

Emerald groaned and flew after him. Rune looked between Nellie and Roxanne. Nellie was struggling to keep up, her tongue lolling out. Roxanne was trying to help her stay in the air, but was failing. With a sigh, Rune turned around and flew between them. He helped them glide downwards without crashing into the crystal walls.

Once all of the young dragons were safely on the ground, Rune sat on his haunches and looked up at the walls. He had never been here before, and yet somehow something about Concurrent Skies felt familiar to him. Maybe there was another fragmented memory bouncing around in his head. Or maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him.

Rune turned to look at his friends. Nellie was curled up in a ball, asleep already. Blankridge was walking in a circle around the area. Emerald pulled several blocks of stone from the air, trying to make a makeshift fort. And Roxanne had walked up to Rune to sit beside him, her ever-present smile filling him with joy.

"It's a shame we have to keep travelling after this." Blankridge said. "I'd love to fly around this place!"

"Blank!" Emerald yelled.

"What?" The orange drake frowned

"We're not on vacation! We have to help Rune!"

"I know that!" Blankridge snapped, his wings ruffled. "I was just saying..."

"Guys, don't argue." Roxanne scolded. "We're all too tired for this."

"Yeah..." Rune said through a yawn. Blankridge and Emerald looked back at him awkwardly, and then continued doing what they were doing. Rune curled up to get some rest, his eyes slowly closing shut...

The next thing Rune realized, he was awake again. Confused, Rune sprung to his feet. The aches and pains were gone. Had he fallen asleep at all? There were no dreams this time. In fact, he hadn't had any dreams since he left Glenhaven. Rune looked around at his friends. They were all snoring peacefully. The sky didn't seem any different, though that was to be expected form the constant storm clouds of Concurrent Skies.

"What happened...?" Rune wondered. An idea came to him; the dream stone! Rune opened his satchel and fished through its contents until he found the sapphire. Holding it up to the "light" of the crystals, Rune could see swirling black clouds just underneath the "surface" of the gem.

"I think I get it now..." Rune put the dream stone away.

 _ **That's quite wonderful, young dragon, but there are pressing matters ahead.**_

Rune gasped. He looked around at the sky. "Chronicler?"

 _ **You could have made a bit more time if you hadn't traveled with your friends. Now you've put them all in danger for helping you.**_

"I know..." Rune frowned. "But they all insisted on helping me. I can't just tell them to go back home."

 _ **I see...**_ The Chronicler didn't sound too pleased. Rune grimaced. _**Well, if it's much too late to get your friends out of danger, perhaps they can at least aid you in combat.**_

"Combat?" Rune asked. "Who would we be fighting? I don't want to hurt anyone."

 _ **There are worse things looking for you than just dragons, young Rune. And some of them have already found you...**_

Before Rune could question what he meant, a hissing sound came from behind him. Rune turned around and saw a pool of black smoke rising from the crystal's shadow. A pair of red eyes glowed in the pool, and a creature of black smoke stepped forwards from it. The creature was no bigger than any of the young dragons, but its body was skeletal and covered in decaying feathers. A snakelike tongue slid out of a beaklike head, and it shrieked and hissed with every step it took.

Rune gasped. He jumped forwards, spreading his limbs out into a battle stance. "What is that thing?!"

 _ **One of many creatures summoned from the darkness. They serve the Black King, and will consume all.**_

The creature charged forwards, hissing wildly. Rune unleashed a fireball, hitting the beast head on. It shook about madly as the flames destroyed its body. It soon fell over, melting into a pile of ash and smoke. Rune fell back, sighing in relief.

The burning smell was enough to stir the others awake. They all slumped around to get onto their feet.

"What's cooking...?" Blankridge asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Rune, is that you?" Nellie said with a yawn.

"Uh..." Rune stammered.

Emerald covered her muzzle with a sneer. "What's that awful smell?"

Soon, all eyes were upon the pile of ash that was the monster. Roxanne stepped closer to investigate it. "Rune, what did you burn?"

"A monster appeared and attacked me." He said. "It was a..." Rune couldn't find an answer. He'd never SEEN that kind of beast before.

 _ **It was a monster known as a Crepsculus... or "Dark Fiend" in your modern tongue.**_

"A Fiend." Rune finally said. "Let's call it a Fiend."

"Fiend?" Blankridge tiled his head in confusion.

"Why didn't you wake us up when it appeared?" Nellie asked.

"Hey, I took care of it just fine. We don't need to worry about it." Rune shook his head and turned around. "You guys can just go back to sleep."

"How long were we unconscious?" Emerald asked.

"Let me check." Roxanne squinted up at the sky. She shook her head and shrugged. "I can't tell. It's always nighttime here."

"I wasn't asking you." Emerald snapped. Roxanne frowned and looked away from her.

"Maybe we should keep moving." Nellie walked up and stood beside Rune. "We have to get to Crossgale so we can find a boat, right?"

"I guess you're right..." Rune nodded. He turned around and flapped his wings. "Come on, guys. We're heading north."

The others nodded and flapped their own wings. After a running start, Rune and his friends were airborne.

"When are we going to take another break?" Blankridge asked from Rune's right. "I haven't had a bite to eat all day!"

"We can't eat until there's something TO eat." Nellie said from Rune's left.

"We could just find some green life-gems." Emerald flew around from behind Rune. "They'll give us the same results."

"But gems don't fill your stomach, Emmy!" Blankridge protested.

Emerald just rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Guys..." Rune groaned. "Arguing won't solve anything."

"Sorry, Bro." Blankridge frowned.

"It's fine..." Rune took a deep breath. "But let's just keep going. We can eat when we get to Crossgale."

The others nodded and flew in silence. Rune took the lead again, ignoring the growling in his gut.

~~...~~

Crossgale, the city of the lightning dragons.

It was a city built upon a massive artificial plain, connected to four great towers. The entire city hung above a canyon filled with crystal. The city had all sorts of Mole-based technology, all of it powered by lightning magic. May dragons and non-dragons roamed the city streets at all times, so the city never seemed to sleep.

Rune and his friends arrived at the edge of the city at what felt like the afternoon; he still wasn't sure. They arrived at a large staircase that led up to a gate, and that gate fed into the city proper. The stairs were so high up that none of the young dragons could see the streets. The only clue to the interior of the city was the skyline of towers and other tall buildings, all alight with crystals and lightning.

"So this is Crossgale, eh?" Blankridge looked around at the walls. "It's certainly shiny."

"Wow, it's nothing like home." Nellie marveled, moving this way and that.. "It's very pretty."

"We're not here for sightseeing." Emerald snapped, stepping forwards. "We need to head to the docks on the northern part of Crossgale. From there we can get a boat to sail to the north."

"Well then, let's go in!" Blankridge trotted forwards to the steps, only for Roxanne to tug his tail back.

"Wait!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"Ow..." Blankridge pulled his tail back and rubbed it. "What's the problem?"

"What about Rune?" Roxanne asked. "We can't let anybody see him for what he is."

"Yeah..." Rune frowned, looking at his paws.

"Maybe he could wear a disguise?" Nellie turned to look at him. "Rune, do you know how to perform that... Shroud magic, whatever it was called?"

Rune sighed and shook his head. "I don't know how. I can't explain how I was wearing one for so long..."

The others frowned and looked away. Roxanne bit her lower lip and nudged Rune with her muzzle.

"Let's not think about that, Rune." She said. "Maybe the five of us can split up. Rune, you and I will travel through the canyon beneath the city. The others can go through the city and find a boat for us to ride on."

"I suppose that could work." Blankridge nodded. "I'd love to run some laps through this town to see what it's like."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Sure, fine. Nellie, Blank and I will head through the town. We'll meet up with you two later."

"Okay." Roxanne smiled. She tugged on Rune's wing. "Let's go!"

"But..." Rune stammered. He had no time to argue. Blankridge, Nellie and Emerald made their way up the steps towards Crossgale. Nellie looked back at him with a frown but said nothing.

Roxanne led the way down a lower pathway to the right of the steps, which fed into the canyon. "Come on, Rune!"

Rune frowned. "Okay."

He followed Roxanne into the canyon.

~~...~~

Rune and Roxanne stayed as quiet as they could while travelling through the canyon of crystals.

There was hardly any room at all to fly just beneath the stone bridge of the city. To make it through, Rune and Roxanne had to travel between the flat "platforms" built into the edges of the canyon. Many sharp crystals could be seen on the floor of the canyon; falling down there would be hazardous.

While Rune was happy to be walking with Roxanne, he feared for her safety the whole time. After that initial fiend attack, there was no telling when more of them would show up.

"Roxanne, are you really sure you want to travel with me?" Rune asked as he glided across two platforms behind her. "This place is dangerous."

"It's dangerous for YOU, too." Roxanne insisted as she landed. "None of us want you to be travelling alone."

"Anywhere's dangerous for me because I'm a black dragon." Rune said, trotting forwards. "I at least have multiple elements at my disposal to help me. You've only got one."

"That's never been an issue before." Roxanne replied. "I don't think any differently of you."

"Roxanne..." Rune sighed. He moved to stand beside her, only to hear hissing behind him. He and Roxanne gasped; several pools of darkness were emerging from the shadows of the crystal walls.

"What's that?!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"More of those fiends!" Rune shouted. He spun around and got into a fighting stance. "Roxanne, get behind me!"

"But Rune..." She started to say.

Rune unleashed several fireballs at the creatures as they emerged. The first few were burned away, but the next wave dashed around. Rune ran forwards, striking the nearest creatures with an earth bomb. They were knocked over, but quickly sprang to their feet to come at him again. When earth magic didn't work anymore, Rune tried using ice to freeze them in place. But alas, they simply broke free and kept coming at him.

"I won't let you hurt her!" Rune shouted. He charged forwards to ram the monsters off the cliff.

"Rune..." Roxanne pouted.

Rune kept fighting until there was only one monster left. He rammed into the monster, smashing into the wall and crashing to the ground. Rune heard something CRACK as he hit the ground, and pain engulfed his forepaw. Rune winced, looking at his paw. Part of a talon was broken. Looking around, Rune spotted a cluster of red gems. He trotted up to the cluster and struck it with his horns until the contents fell to the ground.

"Rune, look out!" Roxanne shouted.

"Huh?" Rune turned around just in time to see one of the monsters leaping at him from the shadows. As he ducked, Roxanne unleashed a blast of lightning on the beast. The fiend was ensnared, twitching violently in the air. Roxanne swung her head to the side, sending the monster careening off the cliff. Rune watched the creature fall down into the canyon, where it presumably died.

"Wow." He said. Roxanne walked up to him, her head swinging from side to side with pride. Rune looked back at her and smiled. "Looks like lightning magic is the way to go."

"I'll bet you're glad I came with you now, huh?" Roxanne chirped.

Rune chuckled. "Yeah. Thanks, Roxy."

Rune and Roxanne glided across to the next area of the canyon. A large cluster of blue gems was on the far wall, surrounded by more pools of darkness. The two young dragons fought their way past the monsters and came to rest beside the blue cluster.

"What do you make of this, Rune?" Roxanne asked, a forepaw resting on the cluster.

"Hmm..." Rune looked the cluster over. "Well, from what I remember from history class, blue life-gems enable a dragon to increase their magical power. If we absorb these gems, our magic will grow stronger."

"Would you like to take them?" Roxanne stepped aside.

"Let's share them." Rune said. "We've both got lightning magic, so we should get stronger together."

Roxanne smiled. "Okay!"

Roxanne smashed the cluster to pieces by ramming it. She and Rune then split up the blue gems into two piles, and absorbed them. While it came naturally for Roxanne to power up her magic, Rune could feel the new energy being stored within himself. All four of his elements reached out to the blue energy, so he had to consciously block off three of those elements so his lightning magic alone became stronger. It felt very strange, but the feeling eventually wore off.

"Alright, let's keep going." Rune said. "The others will be waiting for us by the docks."

"Okay!" Roxanne chirped. She hopped across the next gap and moved onwards. Rune chuckled and followed after her.

~~...~~

Nellie, Blankridge and Emerald made their way through the bustling streets of Crossgale. Most of the adults didn't pay them any mind. Perhaps it was because many of them were moles and cheetahs.

"So, we just have to find the docks, right?" Blank asked as he rounded a corner.

"It should be this way..." Emerald said as she looked up at a sign.

"Let's hope we don't take too long getting there." Nellie said from behind them. "I hate leaving Rune alone."

"But he's not alone. He's with Roxanne right?" Blankridge grinned. "I'll bet he's very happy right now."

"Blank, stop it." Emerald snapped.

"What?" Blankridge shrugged. "What did I say?"

The three young dragons walked forwards for quite some time. But then, they started hearing a commotion around them.

All around the city, in almost every populated area, massive black pools started appearing in the middle of the streets. And out of them crawled hideous, black-hided creatures.

The Dark Fiends.

Some of the creatures were small in stature: No larger than a young dragon. But several others were almost as big as an adult dragon, and had incredibly bulky frames and four sets of wings. Their roars could induce headaches within moments of being heard by nearby beings, and they seemed to command their smaller brethren.

One of the pools emerged just before Nellie as she rounded another corner.

"Nellie, look out!" Blankridge shouted.

Nellie gasped as one of the smaller creatures lunged at her, fangs barred. She instinctively attacked with ice breath, but the beast managed to grab hold of her before her attack connected. Thus, the monster was frozen onto her.

Blankridge and Emerald quickly ran over to Nellie to help her pry the creature off. However, several more of the monsters jumped in their way, advancing on them with hisses in their throats.

"Are these those fiend monsters Rune mentioned?" Emerald shouted.

"How should I know?!" Blankridge snapped.

Nellie managed to rip the frozen monster off of her, but it started breaking free of the icy prison shortly afterwards.

"Whatever they are, they mean trouble!" Nellie ran to stand beside the others.

"Right." Blankridge nodded, spreading himself into a battle stance. "We better deal with them, then."

Emerald dodged out of the way as two of the monsters tried to charge at her. "Less talking and more action!"

The three young dragons charged into battle.

Blankridge started out by using his fire to burn four of the monsters alive. The smaller ones ran about and shrieked in pain, but the larger beasts walked through the flames, protected by their armor-like scales. Blankridge tried to break the armor by clawing at it, but this did nothing. With no clear option, he fled from the beasts and they chased after him.

A short distance away, Emerald was using earth blasts to knock the smaller monsters backwards with ease. When a larger creature charged at her, she tried to knock it back with an earth bomb. But she found that she was too low on energy to create one. So, she used what was left for another short blast, but the beast merely shrugged the attack off.

"Nothing's working!" Emerald shouted as she dodged one of the creature's attacks. "What do we do?!"

As this happened, Nellie was facing off against several creatures on her own. When the smaller monsters charged at her, she used her ice breath to freeze them. As they were trapped, Nellie slashed at them with her claws and fangs, breaking them to pieces. But while she wasn't looking, one of the large monsters struck her form the side and hard in the back, sending her flying off her feet and crashing to the ground.

"NELLIE!" Blankridge and Emerald screamed.

As the beast came down upon the injured dragoness, Blankridge leaped onto its back, grappling with it and snarling in anger. In the meantime, Emerald ran to Nellie's aid, striking away any smaller monster that tried to attack.

"Are you okay?" Emerald asked, pulling Nellie up to her feet.

"Yeah..." She replied, shaking her sides. "Thanks, Emmy."

Blankridge suddenly came flying past them, crashing into a fruit cart a short distance away. The monster he was grappling with had managed to shake him off. The dragonesses gasped as the larger monsters approached them, all snarling.

"This isn't good." Emerald said. "Those things are invincible. Nothing we throw at them works."

"Nothing?" Nellie stood up. "I'm not so sure..."

Nellie charged up the last of her magic and approached the nearest of the beasts. In the meantime, Blankridge combed back onto his feet, spitting a few grapes out of his muzzle.

"What are you doing, sis?!" He exclaimed.

As the monster tried to bite Nellie, she attacked with a burst of ice. The beast was frozen completely in place, unable to move. Nellie then followed up her magic with a series of strikes with her talons. The ice exploded upon impact, sending the monster flying backwards. Its scales were stripped from its body and scattered all around and fading into mist. The monster screamed and fell backwards, collapsing into a pile of black bones before dissolving.

"So that's how we defeat them!" Emerald declared.

"I could use some help, guys!" Nellie shouted, dodging away from the other monsters. Emerald and Blankridge rushed forwards to help.

Nellie used the last of her magic to freeze the beasts in place, and the other two dragons attacked the beasts with physical strikes. Soon, the last of the monsters were screaming wildly before fading into nothingness. The three dragons collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

"Fine..." Blankridge gulped down air.

"What..." Nellie panted. "What are these things?"

"I'll tell you what they were." Blankridge replied, grinning. "They were a pain in the arse."

"Blank!" Emerald scolded. "Such language."

"Sorry." Blankridge grimaced.

Nellie stood up to her feet. "Come on! We've got to get to the docks!"

Blankridge and Emerald glanced at each other for a moment. "Right!"

The three young dragons made a run for it to the north of the city.

~~...~~

"What's going on up there?" Roxanne wondered as she glided over a gap.

"I don't know..." Rune replied, landing behind her. "But I don't like sound of it."

They had been fighting the fiends left and right for a while now. They were now standing at the edge of the canyon, before a large, wide cliff.

The cliff stood at least three hundred feet high, overlooking the ocean. Looking from east to west, Rune saw that Concurrent Skies seemed to continue on for eternity in either direction. Down below, there was a beach, and next to it was a shipyard.

"It looks like we've found the docks." Rune said. "I guess we'll just have to glide down to it."

"I hope the others meet us there soon." Roxanne flapped her wings.

"Yeah..." Rune took a deep breath. He was just about to jump, but stopped himself when he heard someone cry out.

"HELP!"

Rune spun around and looked at the air. There was a small gap in the stone bridge, through which fell a pink blur. That blur turned out to be a young dragons, being chased by nine fiends. Rune gasped, his heart racing. Were those monsters attacking the city?!

"Somebody help me!" The dragoness cried out.

"Who is that?!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"I don't know, but I've got to help her!" Rune spread his wings and took off.

"Hey, wait for me!" Roxanne came chasing after him.

Two of the monsters had grabbed the dragoness's wings, sinking their talons into the membranes. But Rune came upon them swiftly, using his lightning to stun them all. Most of the monsters fell out of the sky, giving Roxanne the opportunity to blast them into the crystal walls. However, two of the creatures managed to evade the blasts and flew around the young dragons, shrieking with rage. To make matters worse, the pink dragoness wasn't able to regain control of her wings and she fell with them.

"HELP!" She pleaded.

Rune flew after her with great speed. The two flying fiends came after Rune, their talons ready to tear into him. But Roxanne flew up from behind and blasted them with her magic, sending them crashing to the ground. This gave Rune time to grab hold of the pink dragoness by her sides. Luckily she was lighter than he was, and wasn't much of a burden as he glided down to the cliff.

"What?" The pink dragoness asked with fright. She gasped at the sight of Rune's scales. "Who are you?!"

"That doesn't matter!" Rune exclaimed. "Hold on!"

Rune gently carried the injured dragoness down to the face of the cliff. Roxanne flew just behind him, lending aid however she could. Once the three dragons had landed, Rune pointed to the path with a talon. More of the monsters started emerging from pools of darkness, hissing and shrieking.

"Go, Run!" He exclaimed. "We'll hold them off!"

The dragoness didn't hesitate to follow his orders. Rune and Roxanne stood back-to-back as the creatures came towards them.

Once again, they used their lightning magic to electrocute their enemies, tossing them over the cliff-side one by one. Soon, all of the creatures were gone, and Rune took a deep breath.

"Those blue gems really came in handy." He chuckled. Rune turned to check on the pink dragoness, who was waiting a short distance away in the pathway formed by two slabs of rock.

Roxanne stood up and trotted over to the dragoness. "Hi. What's your name."

"My name?" The dragoness blinked. She had been looking at Rune curiously and didn't notice Roxanne. "Well, my name is Emberella, but my friends call me Ember."

"It's nice to meet, you, Ember." Roxanne chirped. "My name is-"

Before Roxanne could finish speaking, the ground shook violently. Rune was tossed off his feet.

"BEHIND YOU!" Ember screamed, pointing with a talon.

"What?!" Rune turned around to see a giant-sized version of a fiend's claw fly up into view and come crashing down onto the cliff-side. All of the young dragons were knocked off their feet. A moment later, a second giant claw crashed down on the cliff, shaking it even more. And then the monster's head rose up into view.

The beast resembled a massive version of a fiend, only with far more muscular limbs and wider wings. The giant's limbs were also completely covered in black feathers. It had seven red eyes and its tongue dripped with poison.

Rune backed up in a panic. Behind him, Roxanne tried to run to his aid, but suddenly slammed into something. A large wall of dark smoke had risen up, blocking the path. Roxanne smashed into the wall several times, but couldn't break through.

"Rune!" Roxanne cried out. "I get through it!"

Rune gasped. "What's going on?!"

 _ **Rune!**_ The Chronicler cried out. _**Someone has infused the dark fiends with powerful magic, combining them into one! Beware!**_

The giant monster used its hind legs to hold onto the cliff while it used its front legs to slam the ground. It lifted a feathered arm into the air and swung it down, attempting to crush Rune underfoot. Rune unleashed his lightning breath, only to find that it didn't even faze his opponent. He quickly dodged away from the beast's attack at the last possible moment.

"My lightning isn't working!" He shouted.

 _ **Whoever interfered must have watched you battle the others before and has made this behemoth immune to your lightning.**_

"What do I do?!"

 _ **Use your other elements, young dragon!**_

Rune engaged the giant beast in combat. At first he tried using fire breath on the creature's limbs. It was momentarily distracted, to be sure, but it didn't do any damage. When he used earth bombs to strike its limbs, the creature retaliated by pounding the ground, knocking him off balance. Lastly, he tried his ice magic. He managed to freeze one of the creature's claws to the ground, but the monster responded to this by spitting poison at him. While the young dragon was distracted by the attack, the ice melted away, and he was back to square one once again.

"Nothing I throw at it works!"

 _ **Perhaps you're striking the wrong area.**_

"Huh...?" Rune gasped as inspiration struck. "The head!"

Rune jumped into the air to take flight. But the behemoth immediately swatted him out of the air. Rune tuck-and-rolled onto his feet as the monster hissed again.

 _I've got to think of something..._ Rune thought back to what each of his elements did, dodging attacks the whole time. And finally, he worked up a plan.

Rune used ice breath to freeze both of the creature's claws to the ground. As the monster prepared another poison attack, Rune quickly switched to earth blasts to shatter the ice. As the icy shrapnel scattered, the blasts of earth broke the beast's forelegs, breaking the claws away and spreading black blood onto the cliff side. The monster roared in rage and pain. With both claws rendered useless, Rune set the two stumps on fire to distract the beast.

 _Here goes!_

Rune took into the air, flying up to the behemoth's head. He launched a jolt of electricity into its soulless eyes. The beast cried out as its eyes were fried instantly. Rune came to a landing as the beast struggled to keep from falling off the cliff. Rune could feel his heart racing rapidly in his chest and adrenaline flowing through his veins.

"What is this...?" Rune wondered, his breathing growing erratic.

 _ **You've gained enough energy to unleash a Fury.**_ The Chronicler said.

"Fury...?"

 _ **When you feel as you do now, you're able to unleash all of the power in one blast of elemental magic. Choose an element and unleash your Fury on the beast!**_

Rune spent a moment to decide on which element to use. However, he soon felt that he was running out of time before the power within him exploded. With no option left, Rune jumped into the air and let the energy run wild.

He felt as though a raging inferno burst out of him. A massive blast of a strange, white energy burst forth out of his body. The behemoth, as well as the entire cliff side, were completely engulfed in a massive white light. The beast was assaulted with countless attacks as its entire being was torn asunder. The beast was sent flying into the air, roaring in agony. As it fell to the beach below, it exploded into a massive burst of black energy, which slowly faded away into nothingness.

The excess energy that Rune unleashed also faded away. He fell to the ground, now feeling incredibly tired. His vision became blurry. He sat on the ground, breathing heavily as the black wall of smoke vanished as well. Roxanne and Ember ran up to him, the former draping a wing over his back.

"Rune, are you okay?" Roxanne asked.

"Yeah..." Rune struggled to get up onto his feet.

"That was amazing!" Ember exclaimed. "How did you do all of that?"

"Well..." Rune started. He then shook his head and took a deep breath. "Don't worry about it... listen, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay!" Ember nodded.

"Why were those monsters chasing you?" Roxanne asked.

"Well, a bunch of them attacked the city. I got separated from my mom and dad. And then those monsters chased me. I was so scared..." Ember started to cry a little, but suddenly stopped. "And then you two came out of nowhere and saved me! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome." Rune said. He turned back towards the cliff side. "You should be going home now. Your parents must be worried sick about you."

Ember gasped, clasping a forepaw over her mouth. "Oh, right!" She turned to fly away, but turned around again. "Wait a minute. Where are you two going?"

"We have to find Rune's brother." Roxanne said. "He's lost."

"Oh?" Ember tilted her head. "Does he look like you, Rune?"

"Well..." Rune thought for a moment. "I think so."

Emerald looked puzzled for a moment, but then turned to fly away. "Well, good luck finding him!"

"Be sure to keep what happened here a secret, okay?" Roxanne asked. "We're on a secret mission."

"Okay!" Ember turned and flew away. The last thing she called out was, "I hope we meet again someday! Then we can be friends!"

Rune and Roxanne waved to her as she left, not stopping until she vanished from view. Rune then turned and spread his wings out.

"Let's head to the docks." He said. "It sounds like the commotion is dying down."

"Right..." Roxanne nodded. She frowned before stepping forwards.

As the two dragons glided down, Rune could feel Roxanne's gaze on him the whole time. He had the feeling that she wanted to talk to him about something. But he instead focused on gliding down safely to the beach below...

~~...~~

The docks were almost completely deserted, with only a few ships in the yard. Rune and Roxanne managed to sneak around the docks without being seen. And to their luck, the other three young dragons arrived at the docks just after them.

Rune hid behind a few barrels as the other young dragons spoke to the sailors. Emerald was paying for a fair, while Blank, Nellie and Roxanne sat nearby.

"There were terrible monsters everywhere." Nellie whispered. "Everyone in the city was attacked.

"Rune and I had to deal with the same thing." Roxanne covered her muzzle with a wing. "I watched Rune face off against a really big one."

"Oh no!" Nellie gasped.

"Cool!" Blankridge exclaimed. "I wish I could have seen it!"

Nellie bonked Blankridge on the head with a scowl. "Shh."

"Oww..." Blankridge rubbed his head. "You don't have to hit me."

"Rune, are you okay?" Nellie asked through a hole in a barrel.

"I'm fine." Rune whispered back. "Just try not to attract too much attention, alright?"

Emerald walked up to the others, a skip in her step. "Alright, I've paid for passage to the north. As far as they're concerned, this passenger ship is bringing us 'four orphans' to the north. I had to pay a little extra to keep them from asking too many questions."

"Four?" Blankridge asked. "What about Rune? Do you expect him to swim?"

"We'll just have to sneak him aboard somehow." Emerald said. "But we don't have too long to plan. The boat's leaving within the hour, and we need to get onboard."

Roxanne stood up and stretched her back. "Alright then, let's get onto the vessel."

Nellie, Blankridge, Emerald and Roxanne turned to get onto the ship. Rune watched them with a frown. He hated having to be separated again after having just regrouped. But with a sight and a heavy heart, Rune ducked under the docks to swim just behind the ship. He was confident that his friends would help him get onboard.

An hour later, the sailing ship left the docks and traveled north. Rune wasn't sure what he could expect upon arriving in Warfang. He just hoped his family was close by.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

The next chapter will be focusing on Cyrus and his chums. And after that, we return focus to the Guardians of Glenhaven. I hope you're all excited... or at least mildly interested. See you next week!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	12. Act 1, Chapter 11

Cyrus and his companions were on the very outskirts of the Tall Plains.

They had flown relatively east ever since they left their first camping site. Cyrus wanted to cover as much ground as they could, but Wraith insisted on covering their tracks. The group flew over the jungle in disguises during the day, in case anybody saw them. They stayed within a reasonable distance of the main road to keep track of their journey, and camped during the night beneath the trees.

Cyrus had little time to enjoy his surroundings as they flew along. Sure, he knew what his mission was, but the plains still looked so beautiful from so high in the sky. He was often kept distracted by either Wraith's shouting or Tina's teasing. She'd frequently nip and scratch at him from behind and the sides.

"Tina, stop." Cyrus flapped to fly away from her as she came at his tail.

"Tag, you're it!" Tina shoved him to the side with a chuckle.

"Tina, behave yourself." Lilith scolded from below her.

"Sorry, mom..."

Wraith carried most of the supplies with him. Lilith had offered him some help, but he declined.

"These supplies aren't as heavy as you would expect." Wraith said as he flew over the treetops at the front. Two large bundles tied in string floated through the air on either side of him, just behind his flapping wings.

"Is that so?" Lilith asked curiously. "They seem very heavy to me."

"Look closely." Wraith motioned towards the bundles. "I'm using my own special brand of magic to alter the weight of the items, keeping them in a miniature 'orbit' around my body. Cyrus, are you paying attention?"

"Yeah, I guess." Cyrus shrugged as he flew nearby.

"That still doesn't explain why you don't just let me hold onto a few of them." Lilith said. "I'm more than capable of carrying one of those on my back."

"The farther an object is from me, the harder it is to sustain their altered gravity. Even if it's a very short distance, I'd prefer to save as much of my magic as possible. We're currently in need of more red gems."

"And here I thought you were trying to be a gentleman." Tina snickered.

"Or maybe he's trying to be macho!" Cyrus chuckled.

Wraith rolled his eyes. "Hush up back there."

There wasn't much talking in the sky after that. It was either flying in the sky in silence, or stopping for a quick rest in silence. They had even put a stop to the magic lessons while on the ground. Cyrus didn't mind that as much; he was already a born natural at the dark elements. Any other training just seemed redundant to him. But Wraith was always on Cyrus's case about flaunting his talent. It was such a relief to finally get a break from the bickering.

As the sun set over the horizon for the fourth time, Wraith decided to come to a landing in a clearing in the jungle canopy. Cyrus and the others followed suit. The clearing was rather small; just big enough for the four of them to hide within the thick walls of jungle trees. The sky was a deep shade of blue, and not a cloud was in the sky. As he came to a landing, Cyrus could hear owls hooting and crickets chirping.

Cyrus watched Wraith as he groggily rested his paws on the grass. The two bundles slammed HARD on the ground, shaking it beneath his feet. Wraith collapsed with a sigh as the pressure of keeping up his magic disappeared.

"Ahh..." Wraith sighed, his tail wagging. "That feels niiiiice..." Tina laughed as she came to a landing. She ran up to the crimson drake and leaped over him. He hissed. "Watch it!"

"Getting sleepy, Wraith?" Tina asked, her head tilted with a cheeky smirk.

"Yes. Yes I am." Wraith rolled over to face away from her. "Go bother your mother, kid."

Lilith gently landed on the grass and nudged one of the bundles with her nuzzle. "I suppose I'll set up the tents tonight, then."

"Yeah, sure, whatever..." Wraith stretched out his limbs and rolled over again. He twisted his neck back and forth, making it snap. Cyrus grimaced at the noise. Wraith gave another yawn. "I'm going to sleep, and I don't care if its' on a pile of dirt. Goodnight."

"Are you sure about that, Wraith?" Lilith asked as she untied the bundle.

"YES." Wraith snapped. He looked over at Cyrus with one eye. "And as for you, don't get any ideas while I'm out cold."

"What makes you think I'd do anything?" Cyrus sneered. "There's nothing TO do!"

"Yeah, I really believe you..." Wraith rolled his eyes and tucked his head under his wing. In no time, he was snoring his way to dreamland.

Cyrus rolled his eyes and looked around the clearing. Lilith had gotten to work setting up the tents for herself and the younglings. Tina helped her mother out with the tarps and the poles. Cyrus merely turned around and looked up at the stars.

Cyrus fell back onto the grass as his eyes watered at the endless beauty of the night sky. There were so many of them up there. They glowed like fireflies lost in an abyss. The brightest of the stars formed the constellation of a great and mighty dragon. That dragon in the sky was always there to guide him to sleep when he needed it. Would he ever meet this dragon in the real world someday?

"Hey, runt!" Tina shouted. Cyrus blinked and looked over in her direction. "You could help us out, you know."

"I would, but..." Cyrus stammered, wiping his eyes. "But it doesn't seem like you need it. I'll just wait over here and sit quietly."

Tina groaned. She put down the poles and glared at the prince. "If you don't help, you'll have to sleep out in the open!"

"What?!" Cyrus protested. He sprung onto all fours. "Why?!"

"You can't just sit on your rear while the rest of us work, Cyrus." Tina scolded. "You have to earn your place to sleep, or you don't get one."

"Says who?!" Cyrus spat.

"I say so, my prince." Lilith said with a glare. She several steps towards Cyrus, making him shudder and fall back. "It's only fair that you help us out."

"But Wraith isn't doing anything, either!" Cyrus snapped. "Why are aren't you making him help too?!"

"That's because he's gone through the trouble of carrying all of the supplies for us the whole way." Lilith said. She motioned towards Wraith with a wing. "Look how tired he is! And on top of that, he's already decided he wants to sleep under the stars. As for you, Prince Cyrus, you can either help us with these tents, or you don't get one."

Cyrus glared up at Lilith indignantly. But she just glared back with extreme force, making him fall back again. A shudder ran through his body.

"Alright, alright..." Cyrus bent his head low and stood up. "You win, Lilith. I'll help out."

Lilith nodded her head. "Good. You can start with the sheets..."

Cyrus didn't say anything out loud as he helped the dragonesses prepare the tents. But that didn't stop him from complaining about it under his breath the whole time. He tried his best to keep them from hearing, but he couldn't help but shiver whenever he felt Lilith's watchful eyes on his back.

Eventually, two large tents were finally set up and ready for use. Cyrus took a deep breath and wiped off his brow.

"There. Am I done now?" Cyrus asked. He intentionally avoided making eye contact with Lilith.

"Yes, I suppose you're finished." The dragoness nodded. "You may sleep inside the tent, my prince."

"Gee, thanks." Cyrus walked into the tent with his head bent low. Tina followed after him and dashed off to the side. She curled up into a ball and purred in delight as she got comfortable. Cyrus just sat down on the other side. He heard Lilith approach the entry flap, so he looked away from her and at the wall.

"Oh, your highness, don't be like that." Lilith said. "There's no shame in doing manual labor."

Cyrus harrumphed and shrugged his shoulders. Lilith sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You really need to learn some humility, Prince Cyrus. Your father wouldn't approve of your behavior."

Cyrus dug his talons into the fabric at the mention of his father. His body shook with anger.

"Of course he wouldn't approve." Cyrus said under his breath. "He never approves of anything I say or do..."

"Excuse me?" Lilith stepped a bit closer. Her shadow fell over the prince. He sniffled, but refused to look at her.

"Father never takes the time to see what I'm saying or doing!" Cyrus's eyes watered as he shouted. "I'm still amazed he even noticed I ran away at all! It's not like he's ever acknowledged that I exist!"

"Oh, come now." Lilith said. She sat down beside Cyrus and draped a wing over his back. Cyrus flinched away for a moment, but she ignored it. "Cyrus, that's not true."

"Think about it, Lilith!" Cyrus exclaimed. "By the time Father found out I was gone, I was already on the doorstep of Mount Erebus! I'll bet he was the last one to know! He always has his muzzle shoved into those stupid old books of his!"

"Cyrus..." Tina spoke quietly. Cyrus wiped his eyes and looked over at her. Her usual grin was gone, replaced by what he hopes was an empathetic frown. She cleared her throat and stepped up to him. "Cy, are you okay?"

"I..." Cyrus stammered. His anger was caught in his throat. "I'm..."

"Tina, dear..." Lilith lowered her head down to her daughter and frowned. "I appreciate you trying to help, but I think it's for the best that you just go lay down. Okay?"

"Alright, Mom." Tina bowed her head. She looked down at Cyrus sadly before returning to the other side of the tent. Lilith returned her attention to the prince and pulled him closer to her with her wing.

"My prince, you're being too hard on your father." She said sweetly.

"But..." Cyrus felt his eyes watering again. "He never pays attention to me anymore. No matter what I do, no matter how much trouble I cause, no matter how good I get with my magic..." His voice nearly cracked. "He never spends so much as two minutes in the same room as me." Cyrus felt his throat choke up. He collapsed onto the floor, covering his eyes with his paws. "He doesn't care about me."

"Oh, you silly boy..." Lilith said gently. "All fathers care about their sons. And yours is no exception. If he didn't care about you, then wide did he send so many of the Deep Shadows out into the world to find you?"

Cyrus couldn't come up with an answer. Lilith sighed, but kept talking.

"It's a dangerous world out here, my prince. The Order of Culmubrae is out there, and if they knew that a black dragon prince was wandering about the world, they'd stop at nothing to kill you. We were sent out to protect you and bring you back home. He loves you, Cyrus. Don't you see?"

Cyrus shut his eyes tight. He was trying to think about what he should say to her. He was happy that Lilith was trying to make him feel better. But he just couldn't rationalize what his father has done up until this point.

"Lilith..." Cyrus moved to stand up and look her in the eyes. She smiled, hoping that she'd cheered him up. "Th-thank you for everything you've said. But I just wish you were around before Mom died. Father was barely ever around when my brother and I were little. But after what happened, he..."

Cyrus froze. He trembled as the memories of the tragedy flooded through his mind. He stepped back several spaces, causing Lilith to gasp.

"Cy!" Tina shouted. She dashed over and helped keep Cyrus from toppling over. "Cyrus, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine..." He stammered. Tina was unconvinced, so she curled up in a ball beside him. Lilith seemed just as worried about him. Cyrus took a deep breath, just like he was taught at home. "A-As I was saying, after my family... died, Father was never the same. He was always shutting himself away in his study. He never talks about grandpa or my brother. It makes me think that he... pretends he never had children."

Lilith shook her head and draped a wing over him again. "Don't think like that. I may not have been around the king all this time, but I'm sure he had his reasons." She glanced outside at the night sky. She shut her eyes and sighed. "Another night has come. That means we have one less night to act..."

"We have to find the right dragons to help us." Cyrus said. "We're running out of time before the Night of Eternal Darkness. Mother's the only dragon that Father will listen to."

"My prince, I don't think we need to rush ourselves."

"Wh-What?" Cyrus stammered.

"What do you mean, Mom?" Tina asked.

Lilith looked back forwards and took a deep breath. She seemed to be muttering to herself, trying to decide what to say. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked down at the younglings.

"My prince, what I think you need to do is talk to your father about how you feel. Once he hears how you feel, I'm sure he'll understand and reconcile with you."

"But what about going to Warfang?" Cyrus asked. "We need to-"

"I think that your plan may endanger your life." Lilith said. "You'd be much safer if you returned home."

"No!" Cyrus exclaimed. He frantically sprung up onto his feet. "Don't force me to give up! I need to bring mother back! She's the only one that can stop him!"

"Prince Cyrus..." She looked down at him. "I'm only stating my opinion. It's ultimately Wraith's decision, but I strongly feel that you need to go back where you're safe."

"But..." Cyrus's eyes teared up again.

Lilith sighed. She slowly turned around to leave the tent. She glanced back at him with a worried look. "Please, just think on what I've said before you go to sleep. I only want what's best for you, my prince."

"Oh... Okay." Cyrus nodded yes. He hoped that if he agreed to that, she wouldn't get mad and force him to go home.

Lilith left the tent, and then turned around to poke her head in one last time. "Goodnight, little ones."

"Goodnight, Mom." Tina called.

"Night... Lilith..." Cyrus said quietly. Lilith then left the younglings' tent to go into her own tent.

Cyrus lay in the tent for a while, letting time melt away. The air was filled with the sounds of owls, crickets, and Wraith's horribly-loud snoring.

"Cy, are you going to be okay?" Tina whispered.

Cyrus leaned his head towards her and frowned. "I guess so..."

"Good." She smirked. "Get some sleep, Runt! You'll need all the rest you can get for when I wrestle you to the ground!"

Cyrus chuckled under his breath. "Thanks, Tina. See you in the morning."

"Night, Runt!" Tina curled up in a ball. She was fast asleep shortly afterwards.

Cyrus just rested his head and closed his eyes. As he drifted to sleep, Lilith's words repeated in his head. He tried to believe that what she said was the truth. But just as he slipped into the dream world, his thoughts turned to his father...

~~...~~

It all started over a month ago.

Cyrus was smacked to the ground by one of the stone golems. Several of its smaller companions surrounded him on either side.

"Get up, Prince Cyrus!" A dragon in his mid-fifties shouted from across the arena. "You would let this scrubs defeat you?!'

Cyrus quickly stood up, gasping for breath. he had little time to dodge away as another club came smashing down at him. The prince leaped over and under the other golems to avoid their attacks.

The combat arena was rather small; it was the best the dark dragons could do to conserve space yet still keep enough room for training. Few decorations decorated the stone walls, save for lit torches. Only two gates led in and out of the arena. The most prominent feature of the arena was a statue of an elderly black dragoness; their matron Cynder.

Cyrus had been training in this arena for roughly six years, ever since the remnants of his people went deep into hiding.

The large dragon growled, his paws slamming into the ground. "Stop dodging away and FIGHT! You'll never unlock your full potential like THAT!"

"S-Sorry, Sir Grail!" Cyrus shouted as he slid to a stop.

Grail was a Fear dragon, and he earned that name. He was incredibly tall and muscular, and had the strength to rival the strongest earth dragon. His hide was a deep shade of blood red, though most of his body was covered in the dark cloth of the Deep Shadows. Five thick horns crowned his head, around a short-trimmed black mane. His right eye was dark green. He lost his other eye during the Twilight War. A long red scar stretched across the left side of his face where the eye should have been.

Cyrus winced under the scrutinizing gaze of Grail's single eye. Cyrus dodged left and right to avoid the onslaught of the stone golems. He was trying to find an opening to use his newly acquired fear element. But unfortunately it was as if the magic of fear was used on him instead! Cyrus just couldn't work up the nerve to try attacking the golems. Just a few minutes ago they were just boulders on the ground. But Grail used some of his dark energy to infuse them with "life" to attack!

"What did I say about not attacking?!" Grail shouted.

"Sorry!" Cyrus exclaimed, ducking an axe blow.

While Cyrus was "training", he heard a portal of darkness open up on the far wall. Wraith stepped through it and stood beside Grail. It was comical seeing such a slender dragon standing beside a mountain with feet.

"How are you doing, my prince?" Wraith asked.

"F-Fine?" Cyrus said dubiously, still rushing about.

"Don't distract him." Grail's eye bore angrily into Wraith's features.

"I'm just here to observe." Wraith shrugged.

"You can observe with your trap SHUT, Junior." Grail snapped. Wraith merely rolled his eyes and stepped a short distance away.

Cyrus was steadily getting tired from all the running from the golems. He finally came to a stop on the far end of the arena. As the three golems were charging towards him, the prince inhaled a great big puff of air. He repeated the phrase he read just the other day. Cyrus shut his eyes and opened his maw wide. From his throat burst forth a series of red rays; the Siren Scream. A high-pitched wail accompanied the rays as they impaled all three of the golems. The magic forced them to slow their movements, until they couldn't move at all. Once his opponents were frozen, Cyrus rushed forth and swung his claws at them. His claws did little more than scratch their chests before the Siren Scream lost its effect. Cyrus was back to dodging away soon enough.

Grail groaned and shook his head. "You'll have to do better than THAT, prince! Your enemies would laugh at you after such a display!"

"I'm doing my best!" Cyrus protested.

"Do BETTER than your best!" Grail snapped.

Wraith cleared his throat. "Grail, do you mind if I give our prince some advice?"

Grail rolled his eye. "Fine. But make it quick, draken."

"No need for that language." Wraith harrumphed. He addressed the prince. "Your Highness, how using some other magic instead of just running away all the time?"

Cyrus ran to another end of the arena. "Grail didn't say I could do that!"

"Did he say you couldn't?" Wraith raised an eye ridge.

"Well..." Cyrus slowed to a stop, blinking. "No."

Grail snorted and looked away. "So you're encouraging him to blatantly ignore the point of this exercise?"

"The point is to teach him to think outside the box." Wraith replied. "You yourself once said that there are no rules on the battlefield."

"Very well." Grail turned around and walked towards the northern gate. "You take over, then. I need a drink."

Cyrus watched awkwardly as Grail shoved Wraith to the side to leave. As the muscular drake was leaving, Albanion and Elza passed right by him. Cyrus sighed in relief; his was always happy to see his aunt and uncle. But before Cyrus could take one step towards them or say a single word of affection, a golem smacked him in the side and sent him flying across the arena.

"Cyrus!" Elza exclaimed. She moved to rush forwards, but Wraith teleported in front of her.

"Stop." He said. "We need the prince to get this right on his own."

Elza scowled. "But he's fighting three golems! GOLEMS! Whose bright idea was that?!"

"Please direct your anger to our one-eyed friend." Wraith grimaced. "I just got here a moment ago."

Albanion glared after Grail for a moment, but then sighed and turned towards the prince. "Let's focus our energy on rooting for our prince."

"Good thinking." Wraith nodded. He turned towards Cyrus. "You hear that, prince? Use some magic to get yourself out of this scrap!"

"Alright..." Cyrus nodded.

"But no teleporting away." Albanion quickly added.

"Ahh..." Cyrus pouted.

The prince ran into yet another corner of the arena, trying to concentrate. The three golems were quickly gaining on him, their axes and clubs held high. Cyrus looked between the three Deep Shadows watching him. Wraith, Albanion and Elza. Shadow, Poison and Wind.

Cyrus got an idea. The first thing he did was wait in the corner of the arena. Just as the golems were going to launch their attacks, Cyrus opened up a portal of shadows beneath them. Since he couldn't teleport HIMSELF, he decided to teleport the GOLEMS. They fell through the shadows, only to emerge from the ceiling on the other side of the arena. They fell through the portal and crashed into the ground, smashing part of their bodies.

While the golems were struggling to rise up, Cyrus charged at them with a blast of poison. The acidic magic ate away at the golems' stone bodies, causing their cracks to erode and split wider. And as a final part to the plan, Cyrus ran around the golems and unleashed a blast of wind magic. The smallest golem crashed into the medium one, who then smacked into the largest one. All three of the golems fell to pieces, the dark magic keeping them together dying away.

Wraith clapped his forepaws. "Wonderful work, Your Highness!"

Cyrus beamed in delight. He trotted forwards to the Deep Shadows with a swing in his tail. Albanion's lips tugged back at what was supposed to be a smile.

"You've done admirably well with your progress in Poison." Albanion nodded. "You'll be ready to start learning healing magic soon, I'm sure."

"Really?" Cyrus grinned.

"Not only that," Elza gave Cyrus a hug with her wing, "But your advancing further with your wind magic than I could have expected. Oh, your mother would be so proud!"

"Th-Thank you." Cyrus said as he accepted her hug. _That_ was still a rather sore subject for him.

"Truly our prince is a real natural with the dark elements." Wraith said with a wave of his forepaw towards the remains of the golems Their rocks sank into more portals of darkness. Wraith turned back towards the others. "He's still got a long way, though."

"Let's not push him into doing nothing but advancing his studies." Albanion said.

"But don't you want him to reach his best potential?" Wraith countered.

As the two drakes got into a discussion on his magic, Cyrus did some thinking. Sure, the Deep Shadows were impressed with him, but there was one person he really wanted to make proud of him.

"I'm going to go show Dad what I can do!" Cyrus declared. He rushed for the gate before any of the three Deep Shadows knew what he was doing."

"No, Cyrus, wait!" Elza called. "Your father doesn't want to be disturbed right now!"

Cyrus ran through the engrossing hallways and corridors of his home, the fortress known as The Nexus. It was the last safe haven for all the dark dragons who didn't go into hiding as nomads throughout the dragon realms. To Cyrus, it was his third home; the first one he only knew of from his grandpa's old stories, and the second one he lost when he was six.

Cyrus rounded a corner and went down a long hallway towards a large set of double-doors. A pair of elderly dragons were seated on either side of the doors. They opened their eyes as the prince approached.

"What are you doing here, our prince?" The male asked.

"Uh, hi." Cyrus said awkwardly.

"Planning to speak to the king?" The female queried.

"Well..." The prince stepped back.

Both dragons stood up at the same time. The male was Argos and the female was Icarox. They were known as the Twins, a pair of priests who served the king directly. The Twins were identical in nearly every way. They were both very old and thin, with wrinkled grey scales. They wore plain robes over their wings. They each had eight thin horns and white manes that fell down to their necks.

Argos frowned at Cyrus. "You mustn't disturb your father, young prince. He's quite..."

"...Busy with studies of his own." Icarox said. The pair were psychically link, enabling them to finish thoughts for each other.

"But I want to show Father what I can do!" Cyrus protested. "I've finally gotten to an incredible point in my training!"

"Prince Cyrus," Icarox looked down her snout at him. "You need to understand that..."

"...Your father is a busy dragon." Argos said. "Come back another day."

"But I want to see him now!" Cyrus shouted. He ran forwards and pushed the doors open. The twins gasped.

"Prince, wait!" Argos shouted.

The king's study was illuminated by nothing but the fireplace at the end of the room. Shelves upon shelves of ancient tomes and scrolls lined both walls. And in the center of the room, in front of the fireplace, was a great wide desk. And behind that desk sat the black king as he wrote something down with a quill pen.

Cyrus took a single step forwards, his talons clattering on the hardwood floor. The king immediately stopped writing. He glanced up from his papers, his golden eyes glaring daggers into Cyrus. The young black dragon flinched and stepped away at first. But the king relaxed his glare when he saw who it was and resumed writing on his paper.

"H... Hi, Dad." Cyrus said sheepishly. He took a few awkward steps forwards towards the king. His father didn't even move from his throne when he spoke to him.

"What is it, Cyrus?" The king asked, his talons wracking against the desk. Cyrus always shuddered when the king spoke to him like that. "I'm busy."

"Well..." Cyrus gulped. "I finally learned how to use all the dark elements."

"Indeed." The king kept writing. He turned to look through a large tome for a moment, rumbling internally. "This formula is all wrong."

"Uh... Dad?" Cyrus stepped a little closer.

The king gave an exasperated sigh. "What do you want, Cyrus?"

"I was wondering if..." Cyrus shuddered. "If I could show you what I've learned from magic."

The king shut his eyes for a moment; presumably in thought. He then opened his eyes and shook his head no. "Not today. Maybe some other time."

"But..." Cyrus's lip trembled. "That's what you said last time. And the time before that..."

The king stopped writing. He inhaled deeply and blew out a gust of air. The king put down his quill and rose up from the desk. The king walked around the desk and approached Cyrus, making his intimidating presence easily known. The black king didn't have to be as muscular of Grail, for he was twice as threatening. Cyrus almost ran away in fear as the king approached, but the doors slammed themselves shut. Cyrus fell back onto his haunches as the king loomed over him.

"I have no time or patience for your silly games, Cyrus." The king snapped.

"But... I..." Cyrus's eyes started to water. "I've come very far. Can't I please show you?"

"No... means... NO." The king said with tranquil fury.

"But Dad..." Cyrus sniffed. "I just wanna... be like you..."

The king glared once again. He turned and stormed away from the prince to resume sitting at his desk.

"Cyrus, I can assure you that you will NEVER be like me." He picked up his quill pen and resumed writing. "Get back to your training."

Cyrus's heart ached like it never did before. His whole body trembled. "Dad...?"

"LEAVE." The king snarled.

Cyrus ran out of the king's study, a stream of tears falling from his eyes. The Twins gasped when they saw him crying down the hallway.

"Your Highness...?" Icarox asked worriedly.

Cyrus didn't stop running until he was finally back in his bedroom. It wasn't very large; it barely had room for his mattress and a desk. But Cyrus didn't care about that at the moment. He just locked his door and leaped onto his bed to cry.

 _Why is he so cold? Why doesn't he want me to be like him?! Aren't I a black dragon too?! Aren't I his son?!_ Cyrus turned over and whimpered. _All he ever wants to do is work on that horrible plan of his. He never listens to me, or anybody! Why couldn't Mom still be alive?! She'd know what to do! If Mom were here, she could-"_

Cyrus heard a knocking on his bedroom door. Wiping off his eyes, he got up from the bed and approached the door. When he opened it, a dragoness poked her head in and smiled down at him.

"Good afternoon, my prince." She bowed her head.

"Huh...?" Cyrus looked up and blinked. "Oh. H-Hello, Nerona."

Nerona was a shadow dragoness. She was also a Deep Shadow, and one of the king's closest assistants. Her hide was dark grey, and her underbelly was bronze. Her three horns were charcoal black. Her eyes and mane were a deep crimson color. She wore a set of silver bangles around her ankles, and a bronze necklace around her neck.

"What are you doing here, Nerona?" Cyrus asked as he backed up. Nerona strode into the room with a satchel on her back.

"I was just dropping by to bring you the assigned homework." She said.

Cyrus grimaced. "Homework? But... I'm not really..."

"No complaining, my prince." Nerona opened up her satchel and retrieved several tomes. "There's no harm in doing your required reading."

"But Nerona..." Cyrus couldn't come up with anything to say as Nerona arranged several large textbooks on his desk. She then turned around and walked out again.

"Be sure to start with the large one." She said on her way through the door. "I've marked a page for you to read and translate from ancient draconic into modern speech."

"Uh, but Nerona..." Cyrus was still wiping his eyes as Nerona closed the door. He looked between the door and the tomes. Things happened so fast, the books practically appeared on his desk like magic.

Unable to think of a real reason not to, Cyrus sat as his desk and opened the tome Nerona mentioned. A page was marked by a sheet of paper, upon which were runes that translated from ancient draconic to modern.

"What is this...?" Cyrus wondered. He set to work translating the first few words he read.

The more Cyrus translate, the more his eyes opened up. By the time he was finished with the page, something dawned on him. Something incredible.

"Revival... Ritual..."

And from there, Cyrus formulated a plan.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I'm going to be spending the weekend hanging out with some family I don't get to see very often. That include Sunday, so I wouldn't be able to update then. Since I don't like missing deadlines, I've decided to update this particular chapter a bit earlier than expected. But this doesn't change things: The final chapter of Act 1 is coming on the 11th. I hope you've all enjoyed the story so far.

 _Tenebra ecec Veritas_


	13. Act 1, Chapter 12

Seraph and the Guardians had been travelling for a few days.

Due to the ever-changing wind currents, the foursome found themselves shifting east and west to keep up their pace. As a result, Seraph wasn't sure where they'd wind up as they ventured north. Seraph wanted to keep heading north as quickly as they could. Every time the group stopped to rest for the night, Seraph was tempted to fly off on her own. Captain Jules stayed at the lead as the others followed behind.

The sun was setting as the Guardians reached the edge of the northwestern part of the desert. A beautiful green valley could be seen just a few miles ahead. Seraph felt a bit of relief upon seeing it; she couldn't stand being exposed in the hot desert air without the walls of Glenhaven to cool her. But to her dismay, Jules did a nosedive towards an oasis down below.

"We'll spend the night at that oasis." Jules commanded. "Let's go."

Voden flew down immediately. Seraph stayed in the air, unsure if she should follow. She felt Hontus nudge her side, and she gave in.

Seraph and Hontus landed a short distance from the pool of water. Voden sat down on a small patch of grass, looking up at the sky.

"Ah, what a lovely evening." Voden smiled. "I could sit out here for hours taking in the air." He looked over at Seraph. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Seraph looked away, hiding a scowl. How could Voden think of sightseeing at a time like this? The children were in danger! This wasn't some pleasure trip! Seraph wanted to tell him off, but kept the feelings to herself. She just rested her side against Hontus to relax.

Across the way, Jules was getting a drink from the water of the oasis. He grimaced and spat it back out. Jules sneered as he wiped off his muzzle. "Unpurified..."

"Are you alright, there, sir?" Hontus asked.

"I'm fine..." Jules turned and looked out towards the north. He inhaled deeply and exhaled with a grunt. "We'll arrive in the next village in the morning, and leave via ship by noon."

"Why don't we head to the village now?" Seraph asked. "We need to get to the children as soon as we can! Who knows what kind of danger they'll get into if-!"

"The ships don't leave port at night." Jules snapped. He turned to walk around the edge of the oasis as he kept speaking.. "And there's no reason we should pay for an overnight stay at a tavern when the gems could be saved for passage on a ship."

Seraph sat back on her haunches to take a breath. She then spoke softly. "Money shouldn't be an issue, sir. And for all we know, our children could be in that village right now."

"It doesn't matter either way." Jules said. He reached into his pockets as he faced north. "I'm in charge of this rescue operation, and I don't take orders from non-combatants."

Seraph glared her eyes, a growl in her throat. She moved to approach Jules, but Hontus stepped in front of her before she could. The red drake cleared his throat loudly.

"Captain..." Hontus said sternly, "I would appreciate it if you spoke to my WIFE with more respect... SIR."

Jules only grunted in response. He fished through his pockets until he retrieved his pipe. He stuck it in his muzzle and was about to fill it up, but Voden spoke up.

"Captain, didn't you promise your wife that you wouldn't-?"

"Shut up!" Jules bellowed.

Seraph and the others reeled back in surprise. As Jules shouted, he accidentally dropped his pipe into the oasis. He cursed to himself as he fished through the water to fetch the pipe back out. Once it was back in his possess, he sighed in relief and reached for a kerchief to wipe it down.

"Captain, are you alright?" Seraph asked curiously.

"I am certainly NOT alright!" Jules snapped, glaring back at the other dragons. "This pipe is the only thing that helps me keep my sanity after what's happened! Thanks to your 'son', my daughter has run off to Ancestors' know where!"

"Excuse me?!" Hontus snapped. He stepped closer to Jules in anger.

"I don't know what Emerald ever saw in Rune or that other son of yours." Jules continued.

"Don't you DARE insult my kids, CAPTAIN." Hontus snarled.

Jules only snorted. "I paid their friendship no mind before, but THIS is where I draw the line! I've nearly had a heart attack thinking of what could happen to her out there! Dark dragons have been spotted again! There's no telling how many of them are out there! Why would any of those children do something so STUPID as to run away from home on a wild goose chase?!"

"How am I supposed to know?!" Hontus shouted, his talons digging into the sand. "I couldn't have expected this, SIR! I feel horrible that any of those kids would just run off! Especially that Roxanne girl! I don't know how I could ever make things right with her family, but that doesn't mean I won't try! And I'd appreciate it if you not insult ANY of my three children... SIR!"

"That reminds me of another thing..." Jules's eyes bored into Hontus's. "Your Rune turned out to be a black dragon. A. BLACK. DRAGON!"

Seraph felt a twitch throughout her whole body. She still couldn't come to terms with such a revelation.

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Hontus demanded.

"EVERYTHING!" Jules shouted. "Elder Telus KNEW that about Rune! He told YOU, but no one else?! Not even me, Captain of HIS Guardians?!"

"I am so sick and tired of people shouting at me about that!" Hontus snarled. Seraph flinched away, feeling guilty of the argument they had that night. Hontus didn't seem to address that, and instead just focused on Jules. "I was under ORDERS, Jules! When Rune was first brought to Glenhaven, Telus chose me to watch after him! And I did just that!"

"But WHY?!" Jules stamped his forepaws. "A black dragon prince being found could shake the very foundations of the dragon realms. Why keep his presence a secret?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Hontus screamed. "If you want answers, take it up with the Elders when we get back to Glenhaven! For now, I just want to save the CHILDREN!"

"Everyone, stop it!" Voden exclaimed. He sprang up and ran to separate Hontus and Jules.

"What are YOU doing, Voden?" Jules demanded.

"Everyone, we shouldn't be fighting over these things." Voden turned to look between them. "We all need to keep a level head while on our mission."

Seraph couldn't hold back anymore. She stood up and glared at Voden. "Why are you so calm?"

"Excuse me?" Voden turned to frown at Seraph. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you understand how serious this all is? The children are in danger!" Seraph's glare deepened. "Don't you even care?!"

Jules and Hontus turned to look back at Seraph, surprised by her sudden vehemence. Voden was taken aback. "Of COURSE I care, Seraph!"

"Well you certainly aren't acting like it, with that carefree attitude of yours." Seraph shook her head.

"Seraph..." Voden stepped around Hontus to look at her. "I care about them all as much as any of you. They're all my students, after all. But fretting and panicking about their well-being all day long won't do anything to help them." Voden turned to look between Jules and Hontus. "And infighting among our numbers won't help either. We are on this journey TOGETHER, after all. Whatever reasons the Elder had to choose Hontus to keep Rune's identity a secret, we can't worry about right now. Like he said, let's just save that for when we get back home."

Hontus and Jules glanced at one another. Jules sighed, putting away his pipe. "I suppose you do have a point. Explosive anger is unbecoming of a captain."

"Yeah..." Hontus stepped back and took a breath of air. "I apologize, Sir."

"Aye..." Jules put away his pipe. "As do I."

Voden turned to look back at Seraph, who frowned and looked down. He made a lot of excellent points. She felt so foolish to hold such a childish grudge.

"Seraph?" Voden asked.

"I'm sorry, Voden." Seraph nodded.

"It's quite alright." Voden smiled. "And I'm sure the Ancestors will keep the children safe until we find them."

"I hope you're right about that..." Seraph looked back at Jules. "But again I ask, why must we stay here when we're so close to the village? Surely we can make the trip before nightfall..."

Jules sighed. He glanced between Hontus and Voden. "Do you two agree with her?"

"Sand might be free, but it's not very comfortable." Hontus said. "And if it gets into our armor, it's nearly impossible to clean."

"And I'd rather not have sand in my books." Voden grimaced. "I'd much prefer a desk to place them on."

Jules rolled his eyes and spread his wings out. "Very well. We'll make for the village. Let's go."

"Yes, Sir!" Hontus and Voden declared. Seraph was more than relieved to be spreading her own wings again. As the foursome took off for flight, Seraph thought about the five children again.

 _Please wait for us, little ones. We'll save you, if it's the last thing I do. And Rune, I hope you can forgive me..._

~~...~~

The flat farmland stretched across the east and west. The sky was bright and clear, with hardly any clouds passing by. Great hills rose up on either side of the land. There was a bright river curving alongside a snaking dirt road, with a waterfall in the distance. Farmers tended to their crops on the outskirts of the valley.

A set of small mountains to the west over looked a large lake. Surrounding the lake was a ring-shaped village. The river passed through the lake on the southeast. A shipyard ran along the northern edge of the village. At the peak of the mountain sat an old temple, made of glass and marble.

The area was known as the village of Lakewryng.

Seraph and the others had spent the night in a tavern on the outer edge of the village. They woke up early the next morning and ate a quick breakfast. They sat around a table in the edge of the tavern, Seraph resting against Hontus's side again. Hontus draped a wing over her back, which made her hum in content.

Jules cleared his throat after finishing a steak. "Alright, I'm going to head to the shipyard to find out which vessels are heading to the northern continent."

"What should the rest of us do?" Voden asked.

"You three should purchase enough foodstuffs to last us the entire trip. I can't say for certain how long of a journey it'll be."

"I'll handle the foodstuff gathering." Voden smiled.

"Should we all meet up back here in an hour?" Hontus suggested.

"Very well." Jules nodded. "One hour!"

The foursome nodded and rose up from the table. Jules and Voden were the first ones out the door. Seraph stayed behind so she could walk side-by-side with Hontus.

"Where would you like to go first, love?" Hontus asked.

"Oh, I don't know..." Seraph sighed. "Voden may have a point regarding keeping calm during this mission, but I just can't stop worrying."

Hontus frowned. He nuzzled the side of Seraph's neck. "Hey, cheer up, Seraph. We'll be heading north in just a few hours. We should spend this time planning, not fretting."

Seraph nodded yes, but still felt a tad down. She had the most terrible dreams during the night. Dreams she couldn't even stomach to speak about. She tried to keep her mind clear by looking at the sights of Lakewryng.

A caravan of carriages was lined up along the eastern side of the village. Several merchants of varying races were offering goods and services to the villagers as they passed by.

"Let's have a look at what they're offering." Seraph said. "Maybe it'll help me relax."

"As you wish, love." Hontus nodded. The pair flew on over to the caravan.

As they got a better look, Seraph noticed that most of the merchants working the caravan were dressed the same way. They wore light brown robes and white bandages over their limbs. Most of them were dragons, too, and had brown hoods over their heads.

"They look like nomads." Seraph said.

"Like the ones that arrived in Glenhaven?" Hontus asked.

Seraph had an uneasy feeling. Was there a possibility that dark dragons were hiding among their ranks, just like it turned out back home? It might have just been paranoia talking, but after the crisis that started, Seraph wasn't willing to let it slide. Luckily, Seraph caught sight of a large blue blur that contrasted the nomadic browns. A merchant in the carriage at the end of the caravan was wearing some kind of blue outfit; a pleasant sight. The fact that it sat close to the shipyard also helped her some. Seraph immediately turned her direction towards the last carriage.

The merchant, a silver dragon in his early forties, was showing a cheetah couple his various artifacts. Seraph and Hontus came to a landing just behind them, giving Seraph the time to study the merchant's features.

He wore a long blue cloak over his back and wings, and a pair of matching stockings over his forelegs. The stockings stopped at his elbows and had holes for his talons to fit though. He had a vibrant red mane that was cut short, and a short beard grew from his chin. He had four golden horns. The left and right horns were like those of a ram, and the other two curved down his neck.

 _Well, he's certainly an elegantly dressed drake._ Seraph nodded She turned her gaze to his wares.

Shelves and tables were set up around the carriage. They were covered with a veritable assortment of trinkets, doodads and other items. A locked chest sat off in the back of the carriage.

The merchant spoke with a confidant grin as he looked over the pair with his cerulean eyes.

"...Is there anything in particular that a happy couple such as yourselves would be interested in?" The merchant asked.

"We're not exactly shopping for ourselves, sir." The female cheetah said.

"We're looking for a gift for my brother." The male added, wrapping his arm about his mate's waste. "He's getting married this weekend, but we don't have much money for a gift."

"I see..." The merchant ran a forepaw through his beard. "What are your brother's interests?"

"Well, he likes to travel a lot, so maybe a compass or a special kind of map will do..."

"An adventurer, eh?" The silver drake chuckled. "I know just the thing."

Seraph watched curiously as the merchant turned around and stuck his head into the door of the carriage. "Excuse me, dear..."

Off to one side of the carriage, next to the windowsill, sat a young, yet most peculiar dragoness. She was short in stature, small enough that she could easily be hidden away by the merchant's cloak. She seemed roughly fourteen years of age. Black stockings and a black cloak decorated her silver body. A few strands of grey hair fell over her red eyes. Two small, tusk-like horns could be seen under the hood.

 _What an odd choice of fashion_ , Seraph thought.

"What is it, father?" The young dragoness asked.

"Would you please retrieve the watch from the chest for me?" He asked with a nod. The dragoness nodded and got up, warranting the merchant's smile. "That's my girl."

The dragoness produced a key from the satchel that hung around her neck and under her cloak. She used it to unlock the chest and sifted through its contents.

"That's your daughter?" Hontus asked.

"Hmm?" The merchant turned his gaze towards Hontus and Seraph. The cheetah couple glanced back at them while the merchant laughed heartily. "Ancestors, I didn't see you two there! And yes, she certainly is."

"Why does she wear such dark clothes?" Seraph asked.

"Oh, it's quite the long story. Too long to detail now, you see..."

The young dragoness finally retrieved what she was looking for: a small, silver pocket watch. She locked the chest again and presented the watch to the merchant.

"Here you go, father." She said lowly.

"Why thank you, dear." The merchant patted her on the head before she returned to her seat. He then showed the pocket watch to the cheetahs. "Now, here's the item I was thinking of."

"Uh..." The male cheetah looked at it awkwardly. "That's very lovely, sir, but it looks like any old watch. I don't think it's something my brother would want."

"Looks can be deceiving, I assure you." The merchant smirked. "For example, there's more to this device than meets the eye. Watch what happens when you turn the extra third hand in the opposite direction..."

The female cheetah shrugged and took the pocket watch in her hands. Once the third hand was turned a good ninety degrees, the device glowed a vibrant white. After this, a large image was projected out of the watch's face. Seraph's eyes widened; it was a large, holographic map of the dragon realms in their entirety. From the fiery volcanoes to the northwest, to the mushroom forest of the northeast. From Dante's Freezer to the south, and all the way to Mount Erebus to the far north.

"Amazing!" The male cheetah exclaimed.

"Indeed!" Hontus marveled.

"It's a watch of my own invention." The merchant declared. "Not only will your brother always know what time it is, but he'll know WHERE he is."

"How much will it cost, sir?" The female cheetah asked.

"I'll sell it for a mere ten pieces of green gems."

"It's a done deal!" The cheetahs retrieved the gems from their purses and gave them to the merchant, who exchanged the watch for them.

"Thank you very much, sir!" The male cheetah said as he and his mate left. "My brother's going to love this!"

"I'm sure he will." The merchant put the gems away in a safe as Hontus and Seraph approached the counter. He gave them a warm smile. "Now, how might I help the two of you today?"

"Well, what do you have?" Hontus asked.

The merchant laughed. "What DON'T I have? I've got treasures and items from across the entirety of the dragon realms. Just name something you want, and I'm sure I've got three in stock!"

"Well then..." Seraph's eyes drifted across the shelves and tables. "Would you happen to have any jewelry that could protect against dark elements?"

Hontus blinked in surprise and looked over her way. "Seraph...?"

"And just why would you be interested in something like that, milady?" The merchant asked, more curious than concerned.

"Well..." Seraph took a deep breath as she chose her words carefully. "Call me superstitious, but I'd like to have something that can protect against the darker arts. You never know when danger might strike."

Hontus frowned and draped a wing over her back. She was grateful, but it didn't feel like enough to protect her.

"Well, that's very interesting." The merchant nodded.

"What makes you say that, sir?" Hontus asked.

"Well, I've been hearing some rumors lately..." The merchant leaned his head in close to whisper to the pair. "Rumors that dark dragons are coming back."

Seraph's eyes went wide in shock. "R-Really?"

"Oh yes." The merchant replied, a forepaw in the air. "Stories have been coming in from allover the continent that dark dragons have been sighted. And most worrisome is that a black dragon is among them."

Seraph's scales nearly stood on end. It couldn't be! Had more people seen Rune out there? Were dragons hunting after him? Seraph paced back and forth. Oh, it was almost too much to bear...

"Madam?" The merchant asked, his head tilted. "Are you quite alright?"

"Huh?" Seraph blinked. Her face flushed and she stepped back. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm fine, really..."

"Well, that's good." The merchant said. He clasped his forepaws together. "Now then, on the subject of enchanted items that guard against dark magic..." He turned around and immediately grabbed an item off a shelf. It was a silver amulet, with a large red jewel in the center. Carvings of in ancient draconian were etched all around the circular edge. It was attached to a silver chain, and had a feint aura of white about it.

"You might be interested in this little beauty." The merchant declared as he presented it to Seraph. "This is the Amulet of Amouris. It's been enchanted to guard against the strongest of poisons, and makes you completely immune to fear magic as well."

"Ah..." Seraph stepped closer to get a better look. "Sounds incredibly useful."

"There's a bit of a catch, though." The merchant placed the amulet down on the counter. "It also makes you much weaker to wind magic. It's best to use it only under the right conditions."

"I'm sure I can make do." Seraph said. She reached down for her money pouch. "How much for it, sir?"

"Are you sure you want to get that, love?" Hontus asked. "We need to make sure we have enough gems to handle the return trip."

"Return trip?" The merchant eyed Hontus curiously. "Are you two lovers going off on a pleasure cruise?"

"There's nothing pleasurable about it." Seraph said as she pulled her pouch out.

"Oh my! What's the problem?"

"Well..." Hontus sighed. "We're part of a group that's on a mission from Glenhaven."

"A mission?" The merchant leaned his head upon a foreleg. "Do tell, sir."

"Our children have run away from home, and we're going to find them." Hontus said matter-of-factly. "That's all you need to know."

"And that's perfectly fine." The merchant glanced back at his daughter in the carriage. "Goodness knows what kind of heart attack I'd have if my little girl went missing. Why, I'd end the world for her."

"You must be quite the devoted father..." Hontus moved his forepaw over to Seraph. "Ancestors know I try to be."

Seraph smiled at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the merchant. "Now then, how much for the amulet?"

"Ten blue gems." The merchant said.

The two traded gems for the amulet, and Seraph draped it over her neck. She then looked down at the glowing red jewel. "How long do the affects last?"

"It's lasted for over a thousand years, and shows no sign of stopping." The merchant laughed. "Enjoy your new family heirloom!"

Seraph scrunched up her face. "Well, if you say so..."

"Have a good day, sir merchant." Hontus bowed his head. "Thank you for the trade."

"And thank you!" The merchant replied happily. Hontus and Seraph turned to walk away as the merchant stepped into his carriage. But just before they left earshot, they heard him say, "And good luck finding Rune!"

Hontus and Seraph both froze in place. The immediately turned to look back in shock. What they saw nearly had Seraph fall off her feet.

The carriage had completely closed shop in the blink of an eye. The counters, shelves, and tables were all gone. None of the merchandise could be seen. And before Seraph could even register to question what had happened, the carriage up and started moving. It served off the rode and took off down the way towards the other end of the caravan.

"Wh... What?" Seraph blinked. She looked down at her amulet, as if to be sure it was real. The amulet glowed as white as ever, and felt heavy enough to be real. "How did he... Where did...?"

Hontus moved his wing over Seraph's back again. "Are you alright?"

"I..." Seraph straightened herself out. "I'm alright, Hontus. That just gave me a shock, is all."

"Me too." Hontus grumbled. His eyes roamed over where the carriage was just a moment ago. "What just happened?"

"Do you think he had some kind of time-altering magic?" Seraph asked.

"Maybe? It's not exactly a very common element. Not even Lord Spyro had much mastery of it."

"But then... how did that merchant...?" Seraph continued racking her brain. Eventually she grew frustrated and shook her head. "Bah, we've spent too much time thinking about this when it's not important. Let's just head to the shipyard. We'll wait for Voden to arrive with the foodstuffs."

"Very well, love." Hontus said. The pair turned and walked towards the ships in the distance. As they left the caravan behind, Seraph briefly looked back at all the nomads doing their business.

 _By the Ancestors, please let them all be just nomads._

~~...~~

The _Red Queen_ and its fleet travelled northwest across the ocean. Albanion stood on the deck of the ship, his gaze facing north. He listened to the endless waves crashing against the ship's hull. Seawater splashed up into the air, the scent filling Albanion's nostrils. he wiped his face, grimacing at the salty taste. At the very least, he wasn't seasick.

So much time had passed, and still no sign of Prince Cyrus. And to add to his worries, Prince Rune has appeared, seemingly back from the dead. While he was grateful to that his dear nephew was alive, it pained him to leave him behind during these troubling times. Albanion was now torn on which of the princes he should bring home first. He couldn't rescue the one and abandon the other. But alas, here Albanion was on a vessel to the north, surrounded by enemies. There was no turning back at this point. Not yet.

Albanion turned and walked towards a group of sailors, most of them dragons. He cleared his throat and tried to ignore the smell of rum. "Excuse me. When will we be arriving on the northern continent?"

"I'd say at least a week, mate." A water dragon replied. "We've had to change course on account of the ravaging state of the weather."

"Ah, I see..." Albanion sighed. "Thank you for your time."

"You're welcome, mate." The sailor nodded.

Albanion turned away form the sailors and walked down the staircase to the lower deck. He passed by other passengers without much talk. Albanion's eyes briefly focused on Commander Saul's quarters. The earth drake had been relatively inactive since the voyage began. Albanion and Aegis had spied on him a few more times, but they never heard any new information.

 _If only Wraith or Nerona were among us, they could sneak inside unnoticed._ Albanion grumbled. _There's only so much one can learn through a keyhole._

Albanion continued on his way until he came to a doorway leading into a guest cabin. The dragons inside were speaking in very quiet tones. Albanion knocked on the door three times, waited, and then two more times. There was a shifting of someone rising up before the door unlocked. The door became ajar, and Elza stuck an eye into the hall. Once she saw Albanion's face, she opened the door completely and stepped back so he could enter.

The cabin wasn't very large. There was just barely enough room for four adult dragons to fit inside. And that's exactly how many there were; Aegis and Harlon sat opposite each other on ragged cushions. Lillia was snuggly wrapped in her father's forelegs. A few portholes were on the far wall, showing the sea and sky beyond.

"...And I've had to make-do without it ever since." Aegis finished before taking a swig of a bowl of freshwater.

"You must be very strong to go through life with a missing wing." Harlon smiled.

"My wife and daughter have stuck by me all these years, so you could say my strength comes from them."

"Indeed." Albanion said as he sat down beside Harlon. Elza sat next to Aegis with a sigh as Albanion stretched out his neck. "It seems our voyage may be a tad sidetracked by the weather."

"Darn it all..." Harlon sneered.

"Are we still going to Warfang, Daddy?" Lillia asked as she looked up at him.

The nomad chief took a breath and hugged his daughter tighter. "Of course, dear. It'll just take us a little bit longer."

"It shouldn't matter much for us." Aegis said. "This can give us time to think and plan about what to do regarding you-know-who."

"Perhaps..." Albanion nodded. _You-know-who_ was Saul. The Deep Shadows needed to be careful about what they said aloud, lest anyone tried spying on them again. Albanion cleared his throat and leaned in to his companions to whisper. "We'll need to send word to The Nexus that we've been delayed."

"The Nexus?" Lillia asked aloud. "What's that?"

Albanion and the other Deep Shadows flinched. Albanion glared daggers at the young dragoness. "Keep your voice DOWN."

The youngling yelped and hid herself with a wing. Harlon gave her a comforting hug as he glared at Albanion. "Do NOT speak to my daughter that way!"

"Forgive him, please." Elza pleaded. She brought her voice down to a whisper. "It's just that we mustn't mention The Nexus lightly."

"Okay..." Lillia began, before she brought her voice low. "But... what is it?"

Albanion inhaled through his nostrils, shutting his eyes. He looked towards the door, then the portholes, then finally at the youngling. He kept his voice as low as he could as he spoke. "The Nexus is the last refuge of the dark dragon race, built from the remains of The Hive."

Lillia tilted her head in confusion. Albanion sighed and looked away. Elza decided to speak in his place.

"A long time ago, before you were born, there was a great big war between light and dark dragons. And it looked like the light dragons would win. Elenar, princess of the shadow dragons... and my best friend... feared the worst." Elza nearly chocked up as memories flooded in. But she composed herself and continued speaking. "Elenar went before the ruler of Warfang, the Black King, with a plan to build a new home for the survivors of the war. Many dark dragons came together to create a great, floating city. And it was called The Hive."

"The whole thing was kept as closely guarded of a secret as we could." Albanion said. "The black king sent messengers to all corners of the dragon realms, telling refugees and neutral dark dragon factions to flee to the mushroom forest. That was where The Hive rose up from the ground and into the clouds.

"At the time, it was a great triumph; a city built upon a floating island. It rivaled the size of any other dragon city, and it drifted with the current winds to keep from staying in one place for too long."

"Life was difficult, but we managed to get by for a time." Elza said as she shifted to get comfortable. "We lived peacefully for several years... But then..." Elza's stomach churned.

"What happened?" Lillia asked.

"The black king had an 'ally' during the war." Albanion said, his talons digging into the hardwood floor. "Only one dragon kept our secret; Pappas Richteriel, the king's confidant. He alone knew where The Hive was at all times. We thought we could trust him... but then one day..."

Lillia looked up at Albanion with curiosity. His vision blurred as his anger boiled. Poison flowed through his veins. Green smoke started to rise in his breath.

"Richteriel betrayed us." Albanion scowled, struggling to keep his voice a whisper. "Dragons in golden armor attacked The Hive. Everything was burned to the ground. So many of our kind lost their lives, because of HIM."

"Albanion!" Aegis suddenly shouted. "Keep calm!"

Albanion froze. He felt his magic boiling forth, and shut his eyes. After several breaths in and out, the poison subsided. He then exhaled calmly. "Thank you, Aegis. And I apologize for that, young one."

"It's... okay?" Lillia said dubiously. Harlon let go of Lillia to look Albanion in the eyes.

"Why would Richteriel betray the dark dragons?" The nomad chief asked.

"We weren't the only one to keep secrets during the war." Albanion scowled. "There was a group that sought to destroy our very lives. They were called the Order of Culmubrae, and Richteriel was among their number. He had been plotting to betray us from the start of the war."

"What became of the black king?" Harlon asked.

Albanion sighed at that and looked down at the floor. Harlon didn't press the issue further, thankfully. Elza walked across the cabin and placed her forepaw on one of Albanion's. They looked each other in the eyes for a moment. No matter what the pair had gone through over the years, Albanion and Elza always had each other's backs.

Harlon stood up on all fours, his daughter pacing about his feet. He leaned down to nuzzle her forehead. "Come on, little one. It's getting close to your naptime."

"Aww, Daddy..." Lillia pouted. Harlon chuckled and nudged her towards the door. She followed, still pouting. Harlon looked back at the Deep Shadows as he pushed the door open. "I'll need to spread word about the delay in our voyage. I'll see you all later."

"Farewell." Albanion replied.

After the chief and his daughter left, Albanion locked the door behind them and sat back down across from Elza. The dragoness sat herself down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. Albanion draped a wing over her back.

"Do you think we'll find Prince Cyrus in Warfang?" Elza asked. "I fear that I'm losing faith."

"Don't ever say that, Elza." Albanion nuzzled the top of her head. "We'll find him, and bring him home before the next phase of the master plan."

Elza murred at the feeling of Albanion's muzzle. But she still sighed and looked out the porthole. "I pray that Rune is doing alright."

"I do too, Elza. I do too."

~~...~~

The small fishing vessel floated along to the north with little problem. Roxanne was taking a leisurely stroll on the deck. She stopped to take a look over the port-side deck to view the expansive ocean. When that lost her interest, she ran over to look at the starboard-side. Roxanne had never seen so much water in one body before. It was so big and blue, just like the sky. She wished she had seen it before. The ocean was so... romantic!

Roxanne flushed. Even if her friends were on a mission, it was nice to slow down and take a break. After fighting those monsters, just being able to relax for a few days felt great. She might even spend some time with Rune...

Rune. He was a black dragon now. Or rather, he always was? It was hard to let sink in. That night when he showed up outside her room, it seemed like it was a dream. And yet, after waking up the next morning out in the desert with him and the others, it was very much the real world. And the real world has... consequences.

Roxanne grimaced. She looked away from the ocean and walked slowly across the deck.

 _I should be back home, doing my studies at school._ Roxanne frowned. _My parents must worried sick about me! What would they say if I told them I ran off with a black dragon prince to bring back his dead mom?_ Roxanne held a forepaw over her stomach. _Oh, I can't even think about THAT, let alone how I'm going to catch up on all the work I'm missing. And who knows how long I'm going to be punished?_

Roxanne ran a forepaw through her mane and looked out at sea again. She decided that those worries would have to wait until she got home. For now, she was on an adventure with her friends.

 _Oh, Rune, you've always been a strange and mysterious boy. That's what started my crush on you._ Roxanne sighed. _Being friends with Rune is what led me to getting to know the others. Nellie's a great artist, although she can be a bit bossy. We like a lot of the same things. Blankridge is a doofus, but he's got such a big heart. He's always getting into shenanigans with his "adventures" around Glenhaven. And Emerald..._

Roxanne's stomach churned. Her eye ridges formed a glare as she tried to think of something nice. But she just couldn't.

 _Emerald is a jerk. She's always protesting to me being around with the others. And ever since we left Glenhaven, she's been shutting down everything I have to say! Why does she think she's better than me, just because she has a rich family?!_

Roxanne gave a growl under her breath. Her tail swung from side to side in agitation.

"Hey, kid!" Someone shouted. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Huh?" Roxanne blinked and looked up. A dragon sailor was standing over her, and he seemed quite concerned.

"You look like you're about to throw up." The sailor frowned.

"Oh, uh..." Roxanne blushed and stepped back. "Sorry. I guess I've had a bit too much on my mind recently."

"Let me get you some oranges. You and your little friends will need them to stay healthy on this trip." The sailor turned around and walked towards the door leading below-deck. He looked over his shoulder. "Follow me to the galley."

"Okay, sir." Roxanne nodded and trotted after him. She took a sigh; fruit would help her stop being angry with Emerald for a while.

It was only a few minutes later when a few of the sailors prepared a bag of oranges. They had Roxanne wait just outside the galley door; they said it was too dangerous for younglings to step inside.

"Here you go, kid." The sailor said as he placed the bag around Roxanne's neck. "Make sure you and your friends enjoy these."

"Thank you, sir." She said with a chirp. She then turned and walked down the hallway without with a skip in her step.

Roxanne spent a few minutes walking down the empty wooden hallway. The trip to the cabin her friends were in wouldn't take long. But she still enjoyed the time by herself. She had been travelling with Rune and the others for quite some time now, so it was oddly refreshing to be by herself.

Once she came to their cabin, she knocked on the door with her tail. Nellie opened the door a moment later, her eyes falling on the bag. "What's that?"

"I've got fruit." Roxanne smiled.

"Oh?" Nellie backed up to open the door.

"How's Emerald doing?" Roxanne asked. The sound of gagging was all the answer she needed. Roxanne sighed and strode into the cabin.

Emerald was standing on a box, her head sticking out of a porthole. Blankridge stood beside her, carefully holding her spectacles as she heaved. He would occasionally pat her on the back between gags.

"S-Stop that..." She said weakly.

"I'm just trying to help you feel better, Emmy." Blankridge frowned.

"Well it's not helping... I..." Emerald tilted her head back out the porthole again. She finally backed up and nearly tripped on her box as she sat down. "Oh, this is so undignified..."

"I never thought I'd ever see you turn a deeper shade of green." Blankridge chuckled. Emerald glared daggers at him, but then sighed and took her spectacles back. She rubbed her stomach with a grimace; she hadn't been out to sea before.

Roxanne had to fight with all her willpower to keep from laughing. It was so funny seeing such a stuck-up girl like Emerald reduced to vomiting like the rest of the dragon race. After clearing her throat, Roxanne walked along the cabin and fished for an orange to give to Nellie. She then passed out oranges to the rest of her friends as Nellie locked the door.

"Thanks, Roxy." Nellie smiled before splitting it open. Blankridge stuck his thumb-talon in the air as he dug hungrily into his own orange. Emerald put on her spectacles and sat on her haunches before picking hers up.

"...Thanks." Emerald said dubiously.

"You're welcome." Roxanne nodded. She turned towards Nellie and brought her voice down to a whisper. "Where's Rune?"

Nellie carefully walked across the cabin and pointed towards a corner, where a wooden box sat.

Roxanne tilted her head in confusion. "He's in a box?"

"No, no..." Nellie giggled. She put her forepaws on the box. "Help me push it aside."

Nodding, Roxanne walked to the other side and pulled on it. The two dragonesses moved the box across the floor, revealing a hole in the floor. Roxanne's face reflexively scrunched up as a wave of the aroma of fish filled the air. In the dark hole, there were several barrels filled with all manner of local fish. Something moved about in the darkness, until glowing blue glyphs could be seen.

"Come on up, Rune." Nellie whispered into the hole. "The coast is clear."

Rune blinked his eyes and flew up to the hole. The black dragon groaned as he squeezed through and into the cabin. Nellie and Roxanne both grimaced at the smell of fish about his body. Rune looked quite unamused by the situation.

"You really need a shower, Rune." Nellie stepped back. "You smell like trout."

"How do you think _I_ feel?" Rune crossed his forepaws and squatted in frustration. "I've been breathing fish ever since I stowed away below-deck."

"We're going to need to get you a bath." Nellie grimaced, a forepaw over her face.

"With what, seawater?" Rune stuck his tongue out. "Yeah, that'll help."

"Seawater? Yuck." Emerald looked away. She tried her best to peel her orange as delicately as possible with her talons. Blankridge saw her and grinned.

"Here, let me help you with that." He said before stomping on the orange, squishing it flat in the process.

"BLANK!" Emerald shouted in protest.

Blankridge lifted up his orange-splattered forepaw and grimaced. "Oops."

Roxanne was about to laugh out loud, but then the smell of Rune's fishy scent caused her to gag. She carefully scooted across to the other side of the cabin, Nellie following her.

"Stay over there for now, Rune." Nellie said through a scrunched-up face.

Rune sighed and shook his head. "Can I at least have an orange?"

"Here." Roxanne rolled an orange across the floor towards Rune. But when he went to make a grab for it, the ship shifted around. The orange rolled around Rune and into the hole below-deck.

"Aw, COME ON!" Rune snarled and pounded the floor in frustration.

"Rune, keep your voice down." Emerald harshly whispered. "They don't know you're onboard, remember?"

Rune resumed his pouting stance in the corner. Roxanne carefully tossed him another orange.

And so it was that the five young dragons sat down to enjoy their oranges. They ate in relatives silence and at different rates of cleanliness or messiness. Emerald ate like a lady. Blankridge was a messy slob. Nellie spent more of her time drawing on her art easel than eating. And Rune sat in the back, eating quietly. Whenever one of them wanted another, Roxanne would casually pass it to them.

"I never would have thought this would happen to me." Emerald said quietly. "I'd never dreamed I'd be sailing on a boat to Warfang. I'd never left home before."

"I know!" Blankridge exclaimed. "Isn't it great! We're all finally off on a REAL adventure!"

Emerald sneered. "That's not how I see it, Blank."

"Who DO you see it, Emmy?" Nellie asked.

"I was raised to be a noble." Emerald stood herself up on her haunches, trying her best to look dignified. "I'm a descendant of the great Terrador. Everyone in my family has become a Guardian, and that's what I'm going to be someday. I always thought I'd be learning in Glenhaven until I was ready to make the journey to Warfang in adulthood."

"Why wait until you're grown up to want to go?" Blankridge asked, his mouth full of orange.

"Well, because I wanted to learn everything there was to know." Emerald declared. "That's what school is for, after all."

"But it's so BORING." Blankridge grimaced. "I've wanted to get out of Glenhaven and see everything in the dragon realms. There are so many amazing places out there! The mushroom forest! Dante's Freezer! The fiery volcanoes to the west! It's a whole world of adventure!"

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Those places are dangerous, you know."

"Yeah, so?" Blankridge shrugged his shoulders. "Lord Spyro visited all those places in his youth, and he's remembered as a great hero! I want to be an adventurer just like him! And who knows? Maybe there are other weird and exciting places waiting for me beyond the dragon realms as we know them!"

"Blank..." Nellie began to say. But she quickly bit into an orange slice when words didn't come to her.

"Huh?" Blankridge glanced towards her. "What's wrong, sis?"

"If you ever do go on those adventures..." Nellie cleared her throat. "Just promise me that you won't go alone. It never hurts to have friends to adventure with you."

"Oh, did you want to come along, Nellie?" Blankridge smirked.

"Not really. It's just that I'd be worried about you." Nellie nodded. "At the very least, I want to make sure you're on an adventure with the best armor around. For example..."

Nellie picked up her easel and showed it to her friends. She had designed a what looked like plate armor for an adult dragon, surrounded by blue squiggles around the edge. Rune and Emerald nodded in approval, while Roxanne and Blankridge had widened eyes.

"Say, that looks like something Dad would design!" Blankridge exclaimed, nearly jumping upright. "When did you learn to draw that, Nellie?"

"Oh, I've been watching Dad while he works in his forge." Nellie smiled. "He's been letting me study his armor designs. After drawing those, I started working on designs of my own. Whenever I work on this... I feel like I'm designing armor to protect my family. It just feels right."

"You want to create armor, Nellie?" Roxanne asked.

"Uh-huh." Nellie's tail wagged. "I think... when I'm older... I want to be a blacksmith, just like that. I want to create armor to protect my brothers and keep them from getting hurt. And lots of other people as well."

"Oh, Nellie." Blankridge scratched his head with his wing. Rune looked away, somewhat embarrassed.

"That's really cool and ambitious of you, Nellie." Roxanne smiled. She shifted to stand up. "Of course, I've always had a different kind of ambition."

"Like what, working at your parents' tavern?" Emerald asked with an amused smirk. Roxanne shot her a quick glare, but then looked at the others with enthusiasm.

"Well, kind of. But I want to do more than just run a single tavern..." Roxanne held a forepaw out and waved it from side to side. "What if there were other taverns under the Gilded Phoenix name, in every dragon city? It could be it's own expansive company, like the FTC is. And I could be the business owner, managing taverns allover the world!"

"That sounds like a lot of work." Blankridge grimaced. "And just think of how much it would cost..."

"Well, it's only a dream right now." Roxanne chuckled as she sat back down. "And yeah, there will be a lot of steps involved. But I still want to dream big. All I really have to do is work for it... If I'm not grounded forever for running away from home, that is."

"We're ALL going to be ground." Emerald said dramatically. Nellie, Roxanne and Blankridge burst out into laughter, the first time any of them had relaxed since the journey started. Emerald found herself laughing along with them too.

But then Roxanne realized something: Rune wasn't laughing. In fact, he hadn't said a word in quite a while. The others realized this and looked towards him. Rune sat back on his haunches, his tail wrapped around his ankles. He held his dreamstone in his hand, his face forlorn. The other younglings carefully stepped closer to him, but not close enough to smell the scent of fish.

"Rune?" Emerald asked worriedly.

"Hey, I'm sorry we told you to stay in the corner." Nellie said, feeling quite guilty.

"It's not that." Rune said quietly.

"What's wrong, bro?" Blankridge grimaced.

"Guys..." Rune took a deep breath. "It's great that you all know what you want to be when you grow up. But I..."

Roxanne sat back on her haunches. "What, Rune?"

"Before my nightmares started, I thought I was one of you; a light dragon. I thought I had time to figure out what I wanted to do. Maybe be a Guardian, maybe be a scholar, maybe even a blacksmith like Hontus. but now..." Rune waved his forepaw about himself. "I'm a dark dragon. Not just any dark dragon, but a BLACK dragon. And overnight, I feel compelled to go on a trip to find family I can barely remember, and revive someone I lost but can't recall losing. I don't even know who I really am."

"Rune..." Roxanne frowned. The others were feeling rather guilty. Even Emerald seemed to be struggling to keep from breaking down.

Rune took a deep, long breath. He looked into the eyes of each of his friends. "Guys, I don't know what's going to happen to me. Anything could be waiting for me in Warfang. Maybe my family. Maybe the people responsible for me losing my memories. But whatever I find in the north, there's no telling whether or not I can ever..." Rune struggled to fight back tears. "...Ever return to Glenhaven."

"Rune, Glenhaven will ALWAYS be your home." Blankridge said, his wings flapping "Don't let something like black scales get you down."

"That's right." Emerald stated, her talons wracking against the floor. "We've all known you for six years. Rune, you'll always be my friend."

"And OUR brother." Nellie smiled, pulling Blankridge beside her with a wing. The orange drake put on a big goofy grin.

Roxanne tried to find the right words to say as Rune looked between his other three friends. When she couldn't think of anything, she marched forwards while he wasn't looking and planted a kiss on his forehead. Rune immediately blushed and looked in her direction with wide eyes. But even as Roxanne backed away, she could tell that he liked it.

What waited for them when this voyage ended? None of them could know...

~~...~~

It was the dead of night in Warfang. The inner city never slept, but the outskirts certainly did. And while the many light dragon children were asleep in their beds, a lone figure marched up the long and winding road towards the inner city.

The dragon spent several hours mapping out the city's plan in his head. His underlings did the same on other parts of the suburbs. They would need this information when the plans were ready. But first, he would need to get his hands on one of those coins, before the Order of Culmubrae destroyed them first. And so he walked among the city streets, keeping himself cloaked in the deepest shroud of darkness he could muster. No light dragon without a hundred miles would be able to sense his presence. And as powerful of a dragon as he was, no one could best him under the cover of the night.

The figure came to a stop just before where the suburbs of Warfang met the inner city. He stood still just beyond the edge of where a lamp post could interfere with his dark energy. He waited in silence for his informant to meet up with him. He waited for minutes, and had the patience to wait for hours if need be.

But luckily, it wouldn't come to that. Just around the corner, hidden in the disguise of a fire dragon, came a lone city guard. But it wasn't REALLY a fire dragon, not at all.

Marcus came to a stop under the lamp post. The dark figure locked his golden eyes on the dragon and approached silently. Marcus shivered at the sight, but then bowed his head low to the ground.

"...Good evening, my lord." Marcus said slowly.

"Good evening." The dark king said, keeping his distance in the shadows. "What have you learned?"

"N-Nothing new, my lord." Marcus stood upright. "Just the same history lessons the Pappas has instigated. What's real is real, and what's propaganda is propaganda."

"I see..." The king looked away for a moment, and then returned his gaze to the guard. "And what have you told him?"

"Everything you wanted me to, my lord." Marcus bowed his head again. "Though something else has complicated matters."

"How so?" The king demanded with a glare.

"Word has finally arrived of the murder of King Horus. They've going to increase the city guard around the inner city, while sending a battalion to Avalar. I can't say for sure how this will affect your plans, my liege."

"Hmm..." The dark king turned and walked a short distance away. Marcus didn't move from his spot, but it was hard to stand tall with such a dark presence before him. Eventually, the king turned back to the guard. "Return to your post. Keep your brother out of harm's way. I'll deal with changes to Avalar on my own time."

"Yes, my lord." Marcus bowed again and turned around. But just before Marcus could walk into the night, the dark king spoke one last time.

"And remember, I will soon descend upon this city to remind them why they must fear the master of the dark."

"Y-Yes sir. As you command sir."

Marcus hurried to move as fast as he could. And the dark king was alone with the night. Satisfied with how things were going, the dark king vanished into his darkness to return to his fortress. It wouldn't be long now...

 _ **Two dark lords prepare for their vengeance. But we shall see who the true Dark Master is soon enough...**_

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

Act 1 finally draws to a close, and it's the longest chapter yet. Will the next two Acts have chapters this long? I honestly don't know yet. I'll just have to see what happens as I write.

Next week, we slow things down for the first Interlude chapter. And following that, we kick off Act 2. Here's hoping you've enjoyed what you've read so far and are looking forwards to more action, drama, and dark dragons!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas._


	14. Interlude

Rune was fast asleep behind a barrel of fish. But the smell didn't do a thing to stir him. As he slept, he held his dreamstone close to his heart. And he began to dream of a night, seven years ago...

~~...~~

There was a great floating city hidden in the clouds. There were so many towers and spires, all surrounded by a thick outer wall. Many dragons of all four dark elements were walking about the city streets. In the center of this city was a grand palace, ruled over by the black king.

 _This place..._

In the grand palace, there was a throne room. The floors were a polished marble, and a long blue carpet stretched from the doorway to the throne. The throne was made of silver, and sat atop a stone staircase. Two great statues stood proud on either side of the throne; Lord Spyro on the left, and Lady Cynder on the right. A ring of glass was above the center of the room, allowing the night sky and all its stars to shine down. Three glass stained-glass windows were erected behind the throne as well.

Two young black dragons were struggling to climb atop the throne of the king. Their heads were still a tad too big for their chubby bodies. Their horns had only just started growing. Their wings were still too small for flight; they were just learning to glide.

As the two princes made a fuss, they were watched over by their guardian, Elza. She had been there to watch over them since their hatching. She never let her eyes waver from her dear nephews for a second.

Eventually, both younglings managed to get atop the throne at the same time. But one of them pouted in protest.

"Cywus, it's my tuwn to be king!" Rune frowned and slapped his teeny forepaws on the throne. He and his brother had a bit of a lisp ever since their baby fangs fell out. It would fade in time, when their adult fangs grew in.

 _Is that... me?_

"No it isn't." Cyrus shook his head.

"It is too!" The young Rune pouted.

"Is not!" Cyrus stuck his tongue out.

"Boys..." Elza said sternly. She rose up onto her feet. "Calm down."

"But Aunt Elza, it's not faiw!" Rune pouted again. "He got to be king wast time!"

"No I didn't." Cyrus pouted as well.

"There's no need for you to fight about it." Elza stepped closer and gave a light glare. "Look, there's plenty of room on the throne for you boys to both be king at the same time."

"But..." Rune gave Elza the best puppy-eyes he could. Elza thought it was cute, but she had to put her paw down.

"Rune, if you don't share the throne with your brother, you won't get to play with it at all." Elza looked into his eyes. "Is that understood?"

Rune frowned and looked down sadly. "Yes, Aunt Ewza..."

Elza nodded in satisfaction. She noticed that Cyrus gave a cheeky grin, so she gave him a bit of a stinky eye. Cyrus yelped and looked away, his tail wrapped around his paws. Elza suppressed a chuckle as she gave each of them an affectionate pat on the head. As Elza returned to her resting position, the two princes sat together on the throne. Cyrus had a giddy grin as he pretended to give out orders to subjects. Rune was imagining himself as knighting new knights and assigning wizards to the role of Deep Shadow. Oh, how they loved pretending like this together.

 _Me... and my brother..._

"...And I heweby decwee that veggies awe banned, fowevew!" Cyrus declared proudly.

"I second that!" Rune added, his wings fluttering.

"Oh, I don't know about that." A dragoness's voice said from across the hall. "The kings' mother thinks they need all the veggies they can get." Both younglings were both surprised and excited to see their mother, Lady Elenar, walk into the throne room.

Elenar was formerly the princess of the shadow dragons. Two silver horns curled backwards on the top of her head, while two smaller ones curled forwards like tusks below her jaw. She had a black mane that fell to the base of her neck, around which she wore a jade necklace. Two royal birthmarks were etched onto her sides; the image of crossed infinity-signs. They were a deep red, just like her eyes. Her sons had the same birthmarks in the same places.

Rune and Cyrus leaped down from the throne and ran towards their mother. Elenar happily bent down to nuzzle her cubs' heads as they mewled and hugged her forelegs. Elza rose up and stepped closer as Elenar pulled both of her younglings close in a deep hug.

"Good evening, Your Majesty." Elza bowed her head.

"Same to you, Elza." Elenar looked up from her younglings with a smile. The two dragonesses briefly nudged their heads together; a sign of their sisterly bond from years before.

 _Mother..._

As Elenar was standing upright, the doors leading into the throne room widened. A battalion of dark dragons stepped through the doors and took formation on either side of the hall. Elenar and Elza turned around to stand tall. Everyone bowed their heads as the king of all dark dragons stepped into the throne room.

His name was Urobos. His blue-green eyes were full of a wisdom expected of one his age. His mane and beard were both long and white as they grew around his four thick horns of silver. Urobos wore no regal jewelry, and no crown rested on his head. The closest thing Urobos had to noble attire was his set of dark robes. Urobos had long since entered old age, in spite of the power he possessed.

"Good evening, everyone." The old king said as he walked slowly and calmly across the hall towards his throne.

 _This is... my grandfather...?_

Rune and Cyrus couldn't contain their joy. They dashed across the way to run circles around their grandfather, laughing giddily all the while. Urobos slowed down and sat on his haunches so that the cubs could climb up his back. The old king chuckled as he carried his grandsons up to the throne.

"Were you boys behaving for your Aunt Elza?" Urobos asked, his head turned back at them.

"Yes, Gwandpa!" They cheered.

"They were only as much of a handful as usual, my lord." Elza said with a smirk. She and Elenar walked around the throne to sit down. Urobos approached the throne and sat back so Rune and Cyrus could slide back to the floor.

"Pwease teww us a stowy, Grandpa." Rune said, his tail wagging.

"I don't know, boys." Elenar shook her head. "It's getting late. You should be getting ready for bed." Both cubs pouted and sat down on the floor.

"But we were waiting fow Gwandpa to come, Momma!" Cyrus exclaimed.

Elenar sighed. She rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her muzzle. She looked towards Urobos and sat back on her haunches. "What do you say, my lord?"

"Well, if that's what our two little kings want..." Urobos laughed. He sat back upon his throne and offered both cubs a hug with his forelegs. The two cubs hastily climbed up onto the throne to sit with Urobos. They both reached up with their paws to tug at Urobos's beard.

"So, what story shall I tell tonight?" Urobos looked down at the two cubs.

"Teww us the one about the two-headed ape again." Rune said.

"No, teww us the about the fwying mowes." Cyrus nearly jumped up and down. Rune and Cyrus glared at each other. Urobos only chuckled, but Elza and Elenar exchanged worried glances.

"How about hearing a story Grandpa hasn't told you yet?" Elenar asked. Elza shook her head yes.

"That sounds like a good idea to me." Urobos said. He wrapped his forepaws about the cubs as he settled in.

"Okay..." The cubs mumbled.

"Hmm... What story should I tell..." Urobos tilted his head back in thought. His eyes widened as inspiration struck. "Ah, I've got it!" He glanced down at his grandsons with a spark in his eyes. "Have you two heard the story of the dragoness known as Cynder?"

"No." They answered with a shake of their heads.

"Then I'll tell you all about Cynder, and how we came to be the ruling family of the dark dragons. In all honesty, it's more of a legend than a story, and it's about two separate dragons."

"It is?" Rune tilted his head.

"Why yes, it is. Depending on who you ask, though, it's either the legend of Cynder, or the legend of Spyro. Either way, the story begins over one hundred and fifty years ago...

"A very long time ago, there was a black dragoness named Cynder. Cynder's egg was laid around the same time as another dragon, a purple one named Spyro. But more on him later. When she was still an egg, Cynder was kidnapped by the evil forces of a dragon named Malefor."

"Mawefow?" Cyrus whimpered. "He sounds scawy."

"Indeed." Urobos rubbed Cyrus's head. "After taking Cynder's egg, Malefor used his powers to transform her from a small hatchling into a great, big, grown-up dragon. The biggest the world had ever seen!"

"Even biggew than you, Gwandpa?" Rune asked. Urobos gave a hearty laugh.

"Yes, even bigger than me. Now, after being transformed, Malefor took control of poor Cynder's mind, making her become evil. She cared about nothing except gathering dark crystals to revive her master. For a long time, she led a war against the dragon race, ending the lives of many. She also managed to capture three of the four Guardians of the time."

"Just the Guawdy-ans?" Cyrus asked, his talons clasped together. "What about the Ewdews?"

"Back then, the Elders and Guardians were pretty much the same thing. Understand, little ones?"

"Not weawwy." Rune scrunched up his muzzle.

"It's weiwd." Cyrus added. Urobos patted his grandsons on the head and continued.

"Well, Elder or Guardian, the dragon named Ignitus was the only one who got away. He went into hiding for a long time, until he met Spyro, who just recently learned he was a dragon. After the Dragon Temple was freed, Spyro went on a mission to free the other Guardians: Volteer, Cyril, and Terrador. But he was too late to stop Cynder from draining their power into the dark crystals. Cynder also captured Ignitus and stole his power as well. But Spyro came to the rescue and freed him!

"after that, Spyro followed Cynder into an alternate realm called Convexity. Cynder broke the hold on Malefor's essence. The two fought, with Spyro being the victor. After this, Malefor's control over Cynder vanished, and she turned back into a normal young dragon.

"She became a good guy again?" Rune asked, his tail wagging.

"Yes she did! After that, Spyro and Cynder returned to their world. After going home, Cynder felt guilty about the bad things she did, so she ran away. She journeyed around the world for a while, running into Spyro once again, before she was captured by Gaul, the Ape King."

"I don't wike apes." Cyrus grimaced. "They smeww bad."

"True, true..." Urobos snickered. "But Gaul held prisoner in the Mountain of Malefor, also known as the Well of Souls. Spyro came to save her, of course. Spyro fought Gaul, but almost failed. However, an accident happened, and Spyro became filled with Malefor's evil power. He used the power to defeat Gaul, but it caused the mountain to collapse. To save his life and Cynder's, Spyro used time magic encase the pair in a protective crystal. They were trapped for three years. And during that time, Malefor was free to take over the world."

"Poow Spywo and Cyndew." Rune frowned. His brother did as well. Urobos hugged his grandsons closer.

"Don't worry, it gets better. After the three years ended, Spyro and Cynder were freed from their prison. They traveled around, saving people they met from Malefor's forces. Unfortunately, a lot of people still disliked Cynder for the evil deeds she committed while under Malefor's control."

"That's not faiw!" Cyrus pouted.

"I know. But even though a lot of people didn't trust Cynder, she still went out of her way to protect them from Malefor's monsters. To her, that was the right thing to do. And eventually, Spyro and Cynder fought Malefor and defeated him, sealing him away in the core of the world. The two then used their magic to save the world from complete destruction."

"Is that the end, Gwandpa?" Rune asked.

"Why, of course not!" Urobos declared, his eyes beaming. "In fact, I've yet to begin the good part! As the world was saved, Spyro and Cynder managed to bring to life many dragons that were slain by Malefor's forces, saving our race from extinction. All of the dragons had control of one element of magic. There were eight elements in all; four that Spyro had, and four that Cynder had. All of the dragons praised Spyro and Cynder as heroes. And after that, the two admitted their feelings for each other, and got married a few years later."

"Eww..." Rune stuck his tongue out.

Cyrus did the same. "That's gwoss, Gwandpa!"

Urobos laughed again. "You might change your minds when you're older. But as time went on, Cynder began to notice that the dragons of the world were unorganized and fighting over territory. So, she gathered all of the dragons and had them group up, forming eight dragon clans. Four were geared towards light energy, and four were geared towards dark. Each of the clans were given a part of the dragon realms as their territory, and each clan had a family of dragons selected as the rulers.

"The light dragons praised Spyro as their hero, forgetting about Cynder and all she did for them. But the dark dragons were more respectful. They bowed before Cynder, giving her the title 'The Grand Shadow' and swearing absolute loyalty to her. She was worshiped and praised all across the dragon realms. To this day, the dark dragons pay tribute to her, pray to her in times of crisis, and bless her name in times of fortune. Those traditions continue to this day."

Urobos shifted about and stretched out his back. Rune and Cyrus hugged his forepaws and mewled.

"The story doesn't end there, though." Urobos said with a twist of his neck. "Spyro and Cynder had children in their adulthood. One of them was a son named Nexius. He was a most peculiar dragon: His hide was black, like his mother, but he could wield all the elements that Spyro and Cynder possessed."

"He couwd use wots of magic, wike you Gwandpa?" Rune asked.

"Don't get ahead of me, little one." Urobos chuckled. "But yes. Nexius trained all his life under the Guardians in Warfang until he was a grown-up. After proving his worth in a battle against a new evil, Spyro and Cynder decided to name Nexius the high king of all the dragon realms. Not a single dragon objected. Nexius then fell in love, and had children of his own.

"Nexius grew up and had his own children. His eldest child was chosen to be his heir. When that son became the next king, his first child was also chosen as heir. That tradition has carried on, right down to you two. All black dragons of our age are descendants of Spyro and Cynder. That's the way it goes, little ones."

Rune and Cyrus exchanged curious glances. Urobos had a feeling they didn't quite grasp the concept yet. They looked up at Urobos with wide eyes.

"Wewe thewe evew any mowe puwpwu dwagons?" Rune asked.

"More Purple dragons? After Spyro?" Urobos tilted his head back and sighed. "Well, so far there's only one... But you two don't have to worry about _him_ any time soon."

"Okay..." Rune looked away, unsatisfied.

Elenar stood up on all fours and stretched out her back. "Alright, boys. You've had your story. It's time to go to bed."

"But we'we not even tiwed, Momma." Rune complained. But despite how much they tried to hide it, Elenar could see her sons' heavy eyes and hear their tiny yawns.

"Listen to your mother, boys." Elza said as she rose up.

Elenar picked Rune up by the scruff of his neck and carried him off. Elza did the same with Cyrus. Urobos followed them close behind, and his guards came in turn. Even if they were fussing about going to bed, both Rune and Cyrus were happy to be with their beloved family. They just wished that their father was around more...

~~...~~

Elenar was tending to the princes while Elza and Urobos were outside their bedroom.

The cubs' room was a large one. The floor had a finely crafted linen carpet. There were fully stocked bookshelves and a pair of desks on either side wall. At the back were two glass doors that open dup to a large balcony. Two small beds were lined up against either side wall, draped with silver sheets.

Rune and Cyrus were laying down in the same bed on this night. Elenar pulled the blanket over the cubs as she hummed a melody to them. The cubs snuggled up to each other, Cyrus giving a tiny yawn.

Elenar rose her head up and smiled down at her cubs. "There. Are you boys ready to go to sleep tonight?"

Rune turned his head and looked up at her. "Momma, could you pwease sing to us before you go?"

"Sure, my little one." Elenar chuckled. Rune and Cyrus turned towards Elenar with tired smiles as she cleared her throat to sing their favorite lullaby to them:

 _Look to the stars as they shine down,_

 _As you lay down in bed,_

 _They'll guide you to the realm of dreams,_

 _So rest your weary head._

 _The moon will share its pleasant light,_

 _as darkness gives you peace,_

 _You'll never have a restless night,_

 _Your dreams shall never cease._

As the lullaby came to an end, Rune and Cyrus snuggled in and shut their eyes. Elenar gave a warm smile and planted kisses on their foreheads. She then rose from the bed and approached the door. Just before she walked through, she looked back at the cubs, tears in her eyes and warmth in her chest.

"Sleep well, my darlings." She whispered.

~~...~~

Rune couldn't get to sleep. No matter how much the little prince tossed and turned, he just wasn't able to get comfortable. The light snoring of his brother didn't help matters at all. In the end, Rune was compelled to sit up and put his feet on the floor. He opened his mouth to whisper something, but no voice came out. His mind was cloudy... almost detached from his body.

 _What is this...?_

Rune heard a muffled noise coming from his bedroom door. It was slightly ajar, with a strand of light shining in through the room. A shadow moved about on the other side of the door as voices spoke to each other. Before Rune could even wonder who it was, his feet stepped forwards.

 _What's going on...?_

Rune tried to command his body to stop, but it just kept walking forwards. Try as he might, his tiny paws just kept going. He soon found himself standing on the other side of the door. The closer Rune got to the door, the more coherent the voices became.

"...I'm just glad you returned home safe, my boy." Urobos said. The old drake sounded as though he was on the verge of tears.

"...Thank you, father." Another voice said. The speaker had a distinctly baritone voice. A shiver crept along Rune's spine. There was only one dragon who had _that_ voice.

"We were so worried about you, Bane." Elenar snapped. "You were supposed to arrive three days prior. The king and I were just discussing when to send a search party after you."

"Elenar..." Bane's shadow crept away from Rune's door. Elenar stepped closer to Bane as the two whispered something. Rune tried to shut his eyes to listen, but they wouldn't obey him.

"Arguing won't get to the heart of the matter." Urobos said. "Just tell me, my son; what did you bring with you from the Well of Souls?"

 _My father went to the Well of Souls?_ Rune's curiosity was certainly piqued now. He tried with all his might to step closer, but his paws wouldn't budge. Rune sneered internally. _Oh, NOW I stop moving?_

Bane messed with sounded like a thick cloth, and a purple light briefly shined through the door. Urobos and Elenar gasped in surprise as Bane spoke.

"I have come home with an incredible gift; a gem of Convexity."

"Baneth..." Urobos muttered. "You travelled to Convexity?"

"It's hard to say, father. I fell for a long time, and I arrived at a place filled with these crystals. There were some... tribulations, but I managed to bring this with me when I returned to the realms."

Urobos said something under his breath that Rune couldn't understand. Rune desperately wanted to see what was going on outside the bedroom, but his body still wouldn't heed his commands.

"This could be just the thing we're looking for, father." Bane said. "With Convexity, we can finally take back what we've lost."

"Baneth, there's no need for such extreme measures." Urobos replied.

"But father, the people of Warfang are BOUND to reject us after listening to the LIES spread against our people. They'll never back down to let us take our rightful place of their own volition."

"My husband may have a point, Your Highness." Elenar said. "Richteriel certainly hasn't made any attempts to contact us."

"Reintegrating with Warfang will take careful time and planning." Urobos stamped his forepaw. "We can't simply show up with an army outside their walls, lest they'd think we're invading."

"It wouldn't be an invasion; it would be returning to our home!" Bane exclaimed. "We all knew that The Hive would only be a temporary place for our people. Once I'm crowned king, we WILL be taking back Warfang."

Rune heard Urobos sigh sadly. The old king walked a short distance down the hallway, presumably to look Bane in the eyes.

"Baneth, when you are made the next king, I will stand by your decisions. But as your father, I only ask that you heed my advice. Convexity can be very dangerous when used for selfish reasons."

Bane sighed. "I understand, father. I'd never forget everything that you all taught me. But with this crystal..." Bane paused for a moment. "...I could finally set things right."

"Baneth..." Elenar spoke with a layer of sadness in her voice. Their shadows blended together for a moment. Rune wondered if he'd still want to step out there.

 _Father... Mother... Grandfather..._ Rune felt something in his chest. He felt like he should be crying, but even his eyes refused to obey him. Rune contemplated what to do to get out of this position. But he didn't have long to think, because a shadow passed closer to the door.

"Hold on, the door's still open." Rune gasped as Elenar appeared before the door. She gasped when her eye fell upon the cub. "Rune?"

"I..."

Before Rune could say anything else, the whole world collapsed into darkness. Everything became a snarl of memories as Rune's mind fell out of his body. He screamed as he sank down into a deep, black abyss...

~~...~~

Greeting, friends and loved ones.

Now I know this chapter ended rather abruptly, and it was pretty short compared to the other ones. But hey, I never intended these Interludes to be nearly as long as the main bulk of my work.

And there's something I'd like to address. Yes, my dragons have manes like cats. Yes, their thumb-talons behave like human thumbs. And yes, my dragons have scruffs. Now, there have been a number of people who have complained that this isn't how "real" dragons are.

Here is my response: It's MY story, and these are MY dragons. I have all the freedom in the world to use my imagination in my writing. Furthermore, dragons are mythological creatures. That means they were never "real" to begin with.

In short: Bite me.

To everyone who has enjoyed my story regardless of my "inaccurate" dragons, here's hoping you'll stop by next week.

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	15. Act 2, Chapter 1

Almost a week had gone by.

Rune stayed hidden below-deck most of the time, coming up for fresh air every now and then and eating oranges. Halfway through the voyage, Blankridge had gotten an idea in his head to jump off the deck and fly laps around the fishing vessel for exercise. With begrudging approval from the ship's captain, Blankridge convinced Nellie and Roxanne to join him. Emerald flat-out refused, feeling too sickened by the sea to fly over it. Rune longed to join his friends in their flight, but he knew he couldn't reveal himself to the sailors.

Eventually, Rune's confinement was as an end. The fishing boat pulled up to a dock at the southern end of a small village. When it came to a stop, the other young dragons thanked the sailors and casually flew off the boat. This provided a distraction for Rune, who snuck out from below-deck and glided down to the water. Rune took off all of his leather armor and put it in his satchel. He used water magic to create a "bubble" of water around the satchel so it wouldn't get anything wet.

 _Here goes..._ Rune took a big gulp of breath and slipped below the surface of the sea.

The water was cool on his scales, but it hurt his eyes. Rune had to squint as he made his way around the hull of the boat. He swam under the wooden boards of the dock and brought his head above the surface. Rune took quiet and deep breaths, his throat sore and harsh.

 _There's got to be a better way of sneaking around..._ Rune winced. He kept his eyes turned towards the boards above him. Rune could barely make out the bright scales of his friends as they landed on the docks.

"Wow, look at this place!" Blankridge exclaimed.

"It's just a small village." Emerald said, unamused. "What about it?"

"That's my point, Emmy!" Blankridge skipped merrily along the dock. "I've never seen a village this small before! It's so cool!"

"Yeah, I don't get it." Emerald said with a huff.

"The size of the village doesn't mater." Nellie said as she took a few steps forwards. "It's just one of the places we're stopping in before we move on to Warfang."

"But let's stick around for a while." Emerald groaned. "My stomach is still in knots. I'd like to get used to being on solid ground again."

"Yeah..." Roxanne said. Rune heard her cough and glance down between the cracks in the wooden planks. "Besides, You-Know-Who has decided to join us, and I think he could use a bath."

"Huh?" Blankridge asked. "You mean Rune?"

Emerald and Nellie immediately shushed Blankridge. Rune covered his eyes with a groan. He then smelled his own scales again and grimaced.

 _Roxy's right, though. I'm tired of smelling like seafood._

"Sorry, sorry..." Blankridge sighed. "Well anyway, if he's taking a bath, what are the rest of us going to do?"

"We could all find something to eat. Maybe even took for a place to spend the night." Roxanne stretched out her wings.

"That may not be such a bad idea." Emerald nodded. "Goodness knows I'm sick of sleeping on grass and hard floorboards."

"Uh-oh. Emerald and Roxanne are agreeing." Blankridge chided. He turned and put on a voice of mock horror. "Oh no! Our adventure is in jeopardy!"

"Blank, shut up!" The pair shouted in unison. Blankridge only reeled back in laughter.

"Let's be serious for a moment." Nellie insisted. She made her way along the dock and brought her voice to a whisper. "I'll go to the outskirts of town with You-Know-Who. Once he's clean, we'll head to the center of town. Emmy, you can go get us a room at a local inn."

"Actually, I think I can avoid a nap for a little while." Emerald said. "There's something I want to look up at the library. Here..." She reached into what Rune assumed to be her satchel. "I wasn't able to think about it much because of my seasickness, but..."

"Hey, I think I've seen that book somewhere before." Nellie replied. "What's it doing here?"

"I had it in my satchel the night we left Glenhaven." Emerald said, flipping a few pages. "Rune had it in the library before he ran off with Blank and Roxanne."

 _Oh, right. I remember that book._ Rune nodded curiously. _I wish I had time to finish it..._

"I was doing some light reading of it here and there, and I think it mentioned those something similar to the black monsters we fought in Crossgale." Emerald continued.

"You mean those Fiends?" Blankridge asked. "That's what Rune called them, right?"

"Yes. They first appeared during an invasion by a dark dragon many years ago, when-"

"Why didn't you mention that sooner?!" Roxanne exclaimed.

Emerald nearly flinched when she was cut off. She then sneered at Roxanne, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, I'm sorry... I guess I was too busy PUKING MY GUTS OUT."

 _Well, that didn't take long._ Rune groaned. He could hear Roxanne and Emerald hissing at each other.

"Girls, stop it!" Nellie jumped between them. "Just tell us what the book said, Emmy."

Emerald snorted and flipped another page. "Well, as I was saying, a few pages mentioned the Fiends, but it wasn't much. It said that Lord Spyro and his allies defeated them. But that's all it says. And it seems like a few of the pages have been torn from the book wholesale."

"Oh, darn..." Blankridge scoffed. Emerald rolled her eyes.

"Hmm..." Nellie tapped her chin with a talon. "Maybe we can find out some information around town."

"What, you want to search a library here?" Blankridge asked. "But the book came from Glenhaven's Grand Library, the biggest one in all of the dragon realms! If THAT place doesn't have info on those spooky specters, what place will?"

"We won't know until we try." Emerald said. She then whispered into the crack in the wood. "Is that alright with you?"

Rune did his best to get his voice to his friends without alerting anybody else. "Yeah, sure. Just keep a low profile."

"Well, if You-Know-Who's okay with it, I'm okay with it, I guess."

"Roxanne said, taking a few more steps towards town. "Emerald, Blankridge and I will go to the library together. We can find more info faster that way."

"Wait, what?" Blankridge exclaimed. He stamped his forepaws. "Oh no you don't! I HATE libraries!"

"What else is there for you to do, Blank?" Emerald demanded.

"Well, I could go purchase some more fruit for our journey." Blankridge trotted along the way. "Perhaps something other than oranges. I'm very sick of those."

"I think we all are..." Nellie sighed. "But whatever. I'll go help You-Know-How get clean. You two will look up information about the Fiends. And Blankridge will get us food for the journey ahead."

The young dragons all nodded in agreement. Rune couldn't voice his opinion, but it didn't matter much at the moment. He looked down at himself and his satchel floating in the bubble of water.

 _I need to get out of this seawater. My scales are getting itchy._

~~...~~

Rune scowled and groaned as water was doused allover him. He sat back on his haunches, completely drenched allover. His mane fell down over his eyes, and his talons impatiently clicked against the ground. Nellie stood nearby, having finished unleashing torrents of her magic upon him.

"Sorry, Rune." She gave a cheeky grin. "I just wanted to be absolutely sure you didn't stink of fish anymore."

"I'm never eating fish again..." Rune sneered. He stood up on all fours and shook himself dry. Nellie yelped and leaped away from the droplets.

"Hey! Warn me before you do that next time!"

Rune smirked. "Hey, you should have seen it coming, Nellie."

Nellie pouted and turned away. "That's not funny."

Rune spent a few more minutes drying himself off. He then put on all of his armor before sitting on his haunches. He rested his back against the wall of the building he and Nellie were hiding behind on the outer edge of the village. The village was nestled between a pair of rocky outcrops, giving it some measurable shelter from the wind of the plains. The houses were all built so they encircled a large well at the center. The scent of fresh water caused Rune's parched throat to ache with longing.

The plains of the northern continent were such a strange yet welcome sight. Rune had seen sandy deserts, crystal formations, and stormy seas. Seeing such a flat and green stretch of land was different, almost alien in concept. This gave Rune time to reflect. Somewhere out there were places of ice and flames. A great mushroom forest sat somewhere to the east. And far to the north, the Mountain of Erebus was still a great distance away. His journey was only half over.

"Can you believe we've gone so far?" Rune asked.

"What do you mean?" Nellie tilted her head.

"This is the first time I've been to the northern continent. As far as I can remember, anyway." Rune shrugged his shoulders.

"Same for me." Nellie smiled. "I've always wanted to see Warfang for myself. Remember all those stories Mom used to tell us?"

"Most of them, yeah..." Rune nodded yes. He took a gulp of air. He winced slightly; his throat was still soar. "Ancestors, I need a drink."

"I think there's a well in the center of town, but..." Nellie bit her lower lip. "I'm not sure if you can just... stroll right on through."

"Yeah, I know..." Rune looked down at his black scales. He paid special attention to his glowing blue sigils. No matter how many times he looked himself over, he just couldn't come to terms with this.

 _ **Do you wish you were a fire dragon again?**_

Rune blinked. He looked around. _Chronicler? Where have you been?_

I've been with you the whole time, young dragon. And I must congratulate you for making it this far. Soon, you will reunite with your lost family. Don't forget; you are a black dragon prince.

 _I guess..._ Rune shrugged again _. I just wish I could intermingle with the light dragons, instead of sneaking around all the time._

"Rune?" Nellie asked worriedly

 _ **Hmm... I suppose a disguise would be in order. Warfang and the surrounding city-states have higher populations of light dragons. Sneaking around all of them would be nigh impossible**_.

 _So what do I do, then?_

I'll instruct you on what to do. First, stick out your paw and concentrate on it. Channel your magic into the center.

Rune did as the Chronicler said. He focused his gaze, until he felt a trickle of magic entering his paw.

"Rune, what are you going?" Nellie asked, backing up.

 _ **Yes...**_ The Chronicler chuckled. _**Pour dark energy into your paw, and create an orb of darkness.**_

Rune concentrated dark energy into his paw. As he focused, he felt something surrounding his mind. Soon enough, an orb of dark mist appeared in his grip. The world around him began to blur as he focused on his paw. The dark energy began to "leak", spreading the darkness down his foreleg and up to his shoulders.

 _ **Very good, young dragon. Now, think about your previous form. Think like a fire dragon. BE a fire dragon!**_

 _Yes... Chronicler._ Rune felt increasingly light-headed. The darkness spread over his scales, completely encasing his body.

"Rune...?" Nellie whimpered. She stepped back and fell onto her rear. "What are you doing? You're scaring me."

Rune didn't look at her. Instead, he shut his eyes and thought of all his memories in Glenhaven. He saw a reflection of himself. Red scales, ragged mane, and golden... forlorn eyes.

Nellie gasped. "Rune!"

Nellie...? Rune opened his eyes and looked himself over. He was a fire dragon again. Back to "normal."

"It worked." Rune said happily. He spread out his legs and fluttered his wings with joy. Oh, it felt so good to be himself again! Rune looked towards Nellie with a smile, but he faltered at the sight of her worried shaking. "What's wrong, Nellie?'

"What... what was that?" Nellie asked. She carefully stood up and approached him. "Was that dark magic?"

"Uh... I guess so." Rune stammered. He took a few steps forward, when he realized something hurt at the back of his head. It felt as though a tiny needle stuck him just where his head met his neck.

 _What's this feeling?_

 _ **It's called the Shroud of Darkness**_ , The Chronicler said. _**With this magic, you can disguise yourself as any other breed of dragon, light or dark. But be warned; the shroud uses part of your magical energy continuously. The longer you keep it going, the hard it will be to keep it up. Make sure you remove it in a safe spot when you sleep.**_

Okay, Chronicler. Rune nodded his head.

"What are you doing?" Nellie asked.

Rune looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean, Nellie?"

Nellie looked him in the eyes with concern. "Rune, you keep staring off into space."

Rune's eyes widened. "I... I am?'

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Nellie asked. She stepped forward and gave Rune a hug with her wing. "I mean, I'm glad to see you back to your old self and all, but that magic was kinda... scary."

"I... I'm sorry." Rune frowned and looked away.

Nellie stepped back and nudged his head upwards with her own. She then backed up and looked him in the eyes. "Don't be, Rune. You may have new and strange magic, but that'll never change how I feel about you."

"Thank you, Nellie." Rune smiled back.

"But I'd appreciate it if you didn't keep staring at nothing like that." Nellie nudged him forwards."

"Right..." Rune looked himself over again. Seeing his scales as red again gave him a surge of confidence. He grinned and marched towards the gate into the village. "Come on, let's get some water!"

"Okay..." Nellie trotted after him.

As Rune and Nellie walked along, Rune thought back to his conversations with The Chronicler. He couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right. Every time he stopped to speak to that voice, he wasn't moving or doing anything else? What would happen if he ever spoke aloud?

 _Chronicler..._ Rune took a nervous breath. _How come you only speak to me in my head? Could you ever introduce yourself to my friends?_

There was no response.

 _Chronicler?_

Still nothing.

A shiver ran up Rune's spine. Why was the voice always appearing and disappearing at random...?

~~...~~

Rune and Nellie sped down the sandstone path that wound between the houses. They made their way towards the well, ignoring the inquisitive looks of the locals. In the brief moment he spent looking around, Rune noticed that some of the villagers all wore the same type of nomadic robes. But he was too thirsty to care.

Rune dashed a head and came to a stop before the well. he grabbed the bucket form the ledge and wasted no time dripping it in. He sighed in relief when he heard a splash half a second later. Moving quickly, Rune wound the bucket back up using the crank and pulled the half-filled bucket over to him. He greedily dunked his head into the bucket, taking deep gulps in great haste.

"Rune, slow down." Nellie said as she finally caught up.

Rune ignored her with a flick of his tail. But a loud AHEM caught Rune's attention. Rune pulled his face out of the bucket and turned around.

"Water ain't free, youngsters." Said a cranky green dragon. He limped across the way and came to a stop before Rune. "Pulling a bucket costs a pair 'o green gems to outsiders. I hope ye have it, or you'll be working my farm to pay it off."

"Oh..." Rune's ears drooped. "Sorry."

Rune put down the bucket and searched through his satchel for any loose gems he had. He glanced at Nellie, who was starting to look rather thirsty herself. Sighing, Rune pulled out six green gems and placed them before the adult drake.

"I'm going to need more than just one bucket." Rune said. "Do you happen to have any water-skins by any chance?"

"I reckon I do, kiddo." The dragon collected the gems and turned back towards his house. "It'll cost you a few red gems, though."

"Fine, fine..." Rune replied as he fished his forepaw through his satchel again.

"I'll go git them, then." The dragon vanished into his house.

Rune turned back to his bucket and drank deeply from it, finishing off the last of the water. He passed the bucket to Nellie, who proceeded to dunk it in the well to get herself a drink. When Rune looked back, the villager had returned and dropped the water-skins down before Rune.

"The red gems, kiddo." The drake grunted and held out his paw.

Rune placed the gems into the weathered old paw and grabbed the skins. He passed them to Nellie before dunking the bucket back into the well. Rune got to work filling the water-skins one by one. Once he was finished, he helped himself to another quick drink to finish what was left of the bucket.

"There. We can share these with the others." Rune said as he wiped his muzzle clean.

"Are you sure we should have paid for this water?" Nellie asked. "We could have easily-"

"If you're about to suggest we drink the water you produce magically, then I'm stopping you there." Rune grimaced. "It REALLY doesn't taste good."

Nellie sighed and rolled her eyes. "If you say so, Rune..."

Rune stood and stretched out his legs and wings. He took a moment to look around at his surroundings.

The first thing that caught his eye was the shockingly grand temple sitting not too far away. Made of quarried granite, the temple was several stories tall and had actual glass for its windows, instead of simple wooden shutters like the houses in the village. Mosaics had been carved into the surface and colored from some form of rich dye, painting the exterior with gold and purple. Two large, stone statues carved into the shapes of dragons stood on their hind legs at the front entrance, facing the large pair of double-doors.

"By the ancestors..." Rune murmured.

"It's one of the dragon temples!" Nellie exclaimed, having noticed it as well. She took a moment to examine the symbols painted on the doors.

"Indeed, children." Someone said behind them.

Rune and Nellie whirled around to face the speaker. An old, yellow dragon beamed down at them. The dragon was dressed in a Guardian's armor, though Rune didn't recognize the insignia. For horns crowned his head around a black mane. A short beard sat upon his wrinkled chin. A golden medallion was worn around his neck with the same strange insignia.

"Who are you?" Rune asked curiously.

"I am Guardian Scelus, little ones." The drake nodded his head. "I am the head of this village, and I take care of the temple. You won't find one more luxurious or generous for the next hundred miles."

"That's quite a boast, sir." Nellie remarked. She glanced back at the temple curiously.

"It IS very impressive, though." Rune said. He glanced dubiously behind himself, before looking up at the Guardian again.

"I'm glad you two think so." Scelus bowed his head. "I hope you don't mind my intrusion, but one of the sailors who came to town told me that several orphans travelled with them across the ocean. Would you two be part of those orphans?"

Rune and Nellie exchanged glanced. Nellie was worried about keeping up Emerald's charade, but Rune took a calm breath and looked back up at the Guardian.

"Yes, Sir." He said. "We're trying to find our place in this world. We were told that we could find a permanent place to say in Warfang. We're even hoping to find family there."

"I see..." Scelus stepped back and scratched under his chin. "Well, surely you and your little friends weren't thinking of venturing off immediately, yes? Maybe your group could use some rest and relaxation before making such a dangerous journey."

"Well..." Nellie fluttered her wings.

"Come, at least stay with us one night, little ones." Scelus insisted. "I would be remiss if I didn't offer all orphans hospitality. "You no doubt need to rest and recover your strength. You must have had a difficult journey so far."

"You could say that, yeah..." Rune nodded. He suddenly felt the needle at the back of his mind again. He grimaced, but quickly shook his head. "Sure, I guess we could spend a little time here."

"Excellent." Scelus smiled.

"But we'll have to tell our friends first." Nellie fluttered her wings again. "They'll need to know where we're going."

"That's fine, little ones." Scelus walked around them towards the temple. "A sermon will begin later this afternoon. Just listen for the bells to ring. It would do you well to ask the ancestors for guidance. And perhaps we could find you all more suitable clothes."

"Alright, sir." Rune nodded. Scelus smiled back and continued on his way to the temple. Once the Guardian was gone, Rune looked back at Nellie, who grimaced.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" She asked worriedly.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Rune asked. "We used to offer blessings to the ancestors all the time in Glenhaven."

"Yeah, but that was before... well..." Nellie grimaced. She folded her wings tightly against her back. "You know."

Rune sighed. He looked at his sides, where his symbols should have been were they not hidden by his Shroud of Darkness. He took a deep breath and stepped up to Nellie side to whisper into her ear frill.

"Nellie, if I'm a black dragon..." He said slowly. "Then that would mean... Lord Spyro is my great-great-great-grandfather."

Nellie blinked and gave him a funny look. "What?"

"I know that sounds weird..." Rune scratched his neck with a thumb-talon. "But I think I should pray to him for guidance. Maybe he could help me out, wherever he is."

Nellie tilted her head at Rune. "Rune, you've been doing and saying strange things all day."

Rune shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so... But something is telling me to do this. Once we gather with the others, let's all go to the temple. Once the sermon's over, we can spend the night and leave in the morning. We might not even have to spend too many gems on a place to rest. Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"Of course it would..." Nellie pursed her lips. Rolling her eyes, she fluttered her wings yet again. She must have been very antsy lately. "Okay. Let's go find the others."

Rune nodded. He and Nellie walked off towards the other side of the village...

~~...~~

Roxanne took a book from a shelf and looked over the cover. She sighed as she put it in her satchel and continued down the hallway.

Roxanne and Emerald has spent quite a while in the village library. It was definitely a quaint building; not even one-third the size of the library in Glenhaven. The floor was carpeted to minimize noise. The shelves went up only as high as a cheetah's head, though the aisles were wide enough for a fully-grown dragon to pass through without incident.

Looking for information in such a humble place would be difficult, sure. But that wasn't enough to deter either of them from looking for any information of the Fiends. Despite that, Roxanne was irritated by the fact that she had to help Emerald of all dragons to find in formation. But if it would help Rune and the others in their quest, she'd put up with Emerald for a while longer.

 _She better keep from insulting me, though._ Roxanne grumbled. _I'm in no mood for her nasty tongue._

Roxanne rounded a corner as she reached the back of the library. Emerald was looking through a pile of books on a wooden table. Emerald bit her lip as she flipped diligently through the pages. She was sandwiched between two piles of books. By the time Roxanne sat down at the table, Emerald shut her book and groaned.

"Darn it..." Emerald took off her spectacles and wiped them down. "Another dead end."

Emerald plopped the book onto the pile to her left and grabbed a book from the pile on the right. Roxanne watched her open it up to the table of contents.

"Any luck?" Roxanne asked.

"Does it look like I've had luck?" Emerald sneered. Roxanne reflexively leaned back, giving a glare when the green dragoness wasn't looking. Emerald looked the page over for a moment, before flipping to the index at the back.

"Come on..." Emerald muttered. "Fiends... Fiends... There's got to be something in one of these books... _somewhere_."

Roxanne walked around and sat across from Emerald. She pulled out her own book and started searching on her own. When she came to the table of contents, she noticed a chapter titled "Apes, Grublins and Fiends; the minions of evil." Her eyes beamed. She'd found something in her first try! Roxanne quickly found the page number and flipped through the book. But to her shock, an entire chapter of pages was missing from the book.

"I don't believe this..." Roxanne whispered in anger. It took all her willpower not to toss the book aside in frustration.

"What?" Emerald looked at her with a raised eye ridge.

"Look at this." Roxanne turned her book around and showed it to her. "Pages have been torn out wholesale."

"Again?" Emerald looked across at her pile of checked books. "The same thing has happened in at least three other books."

"Something is seriously afoot here." Roxanne declared as she wracked her talons on the table. "It's like anything about the Fiends has been destroyed."

Emerald's features drooped. She tapped her head against the table and groaned. "How are we supposed to find information about the Fiends like _this_?"

"Looking for info about the Crepsculi, are you?" A voice asked in a whisper beyond Roxanne's ear frill.

Roxanne and Emerald gasped and looked around. There was nobody else around in that part of the library; not even staff who worked there. And yet Roxanne had a bad gut feeling, like someone was spying on them. Roxanne saw that Emerald had the same feeling, as she called upon a bit of her earth magic in preparation of a surprise attack.

"Come now, there's no need for that, children." The voice said. Now that it spoke more clearly, the younglings could tell that it was a female. A dragoness in brown robes slowly stepped around a shelf at the far corner and silently approached them.

The dragoness had an icy blue appearance. Two tusk-like horns grew from her lower jaw. Her amber mane was messy and fell over her left eye. Her robes were loose and scratchy, as though she had been travelling for a long time. And as the stranger grew closer, the air around Roxanne felt a little bit colder.

"Who are you?" Emerald demanded.

"My name isn't important." The dragoness said as she sat down at the table. "What is important is that I couldn't help but notice you and your friends coming off that boat from Crossgale with-"

"Leave us alone." Roxanne snapped.

The dragoness sighed and shook her head. She looked between Emerald and Roxanne. "Listen, young ones, if you wish for me to leave, then fine. I just want to warn you that publicly seeking information on the Crepsculi, or Fiends as you call them, is dangerous."

"And what do you mean by that?" Emerald asked, an eye raised in suspicion.

"None of the books here, or in any library for miles around, will have any information on the Fiends. Most of the information was destroyed by the order of Pappas Richteriel."

Roxanne's eyes widened. She looked across at Emerald, who seemed just as shocked. Why would anyone order the elimination of information from the history of the dragon realms, much less the Pappas?

"Why should we believe you?" Roxanne demanded. The strange dragoness sighed again. She turned and dug into her cloth bag.

"I suppose it's wise for young dragons to be untrusting of strangers..." She said. The dragoness pulled out a scroll wrapped in leather binds and put it on the table. "But if you want information on Fiends, read this. But don't open it here."

Roxanne looked down at the scroll with curiosity. She pursed her lips and pulled it closer. The edge was marked with four elemental symbols Roxanne barely recognized; the dark elements. And at the very bottom, was the image of a black dragoness with her wings spread out. Roxanne scratched her forehead in confusion.

"Who is...?" Roxanne looked up to speak with the dragoness. But to her shock, the stranger had slunk away. Roxanne barely noticed the stranger's tail disappearing behind a bookshelf in the far corner.

"Well, that was... weird." Emerald remarked. She glanced down at the scroll. "Let's head outside."

"But shouldn't we check to see what this is first?" Roxanne asked. "For all we know, it could be a trick."

"But if we're looking at something we shouldn't, then it should be in a much safer place." Emerald said. "Now hide it away, before anyone else sees us."

 _I guess she does have a point this time..._ Roxanne shrugged. She put the scroll in her satchel and stood up. _We can check to see what it says once we've regrouped with the others._

Emerald stood and started shuffling her books around, arranging them in a neat pile.

"What are you doing?" Roxanne asked.

"Well, just because we're leaving in a hurry, doesn't mean we have to leave a big mess behind." Emerald harrumphed as she stacked books on top of each other. "Besides, we don't want to give away we were looking for info on Fiends in all the books that had chapters taking from them."

"Fine..." Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Let's just get going."

Emerald finished up with her books and followed Roxanne towards the exit. Neither of them stopped to explain anything to the librarians on the way out. And they didn't notice the robed dragoness watching them through a window...

~~...~~

It had been a surprisingly long day for Blankridge. Even though he said he'd get some food and other stuff for everyone's journey ahead, he couldn't help but explore around the outskirts of the village. After taking off his armor and setting it aside somewhere safe, Blankridge immediately took off into the sky.

He cheered in delight as he flew upwards, downwards, and in great loops. After being cramped on a wooden boat for the better part of a week, it felt so great to finally embrace the sky again.

 _Finally, we're on the northern continent!_ Blankridge laughed as he did a somersault. _Now we can make our way to Warfang, Lord Spyro's home! This adventure is GREAT!_

Blankridge flew a short distance away from the village and came to a landing at the top of a hill. He looked out at the surrounding plains in all directions. He could hardly wait to go off to explore this continent. It was like being in a new world.

 _If only this adventure could last a lifetime. I'd give anything to go east or west from here._ Blankridge rested his back against the hill and looked up at the clouds.

 _Rune's got cool new magic powers. We should all be so lucky. It's a shame he can't lighten up to make use of them all._ Blankridge's eyes followed some clouds in the sky. _He's just like Lord Spyro was at his age, I'll bet. Dragons like him don't come around any old day. He's got some big destiny coming, I just know it! Lucky him!_ Blankridge gave a low chuckle. _If he goes off to be a hero, I wonder if he'll mind having me tag along.._

No matter how much Blankridge wanted to lay there in the sun, he knew that he must get back to the village. So he flew back to his initial spot and put his armor back on. Fetching the spare gems from his satchel, Blankridge made his way to the market.

The market was quite small, with only a few stands arranged with food on display. The stand at the end was filled to the brim with fish, filling the air with a foul fishy odor. But Blankridge grinned and bore it so he could purchase the fruit on the opposite end. There were so many exotic fruits he'd only rarely seen before. Grapes, pears, and melons caught his eye the most, so he purchased as many as his arms could carry.

 _I wonder what the others will think of this stuff..._ Blankridge grinned. Hefting all of the fruit into his satchel, Blankridge made his way back to where his friends all broke apart initially.

The wait for his friends wasn't very long, much to Blankridge's relief. Roxanne and Emerald were approaching from the eastern end of the town. He smiled and waved at them as they approached.

Those two had been part of Blankridge's circle of friends for quite a while. While Emerald could be bossy, she made up for it by being smart. And she was always generous enough to help Blankridge out with his homework. Roxanne was no dummy either. She seemed to always have a plan hidden behind her ear frill whenever she joined Blankridge on his many adventures around Glenhaven.

 _Roxanne and Emerald would make great friends._ Blankridge assured himself. _I just don't get why they bicker all the time._

"Hey, girls." Blankridge beamed. "I've got the food! How did things go for you?"

"Well..." Roxanne muttered. She seemed unsure about something.

"We think we found something..." Emerald said for her. "But we'll need to wait for the right time to talk about it."

Roxanne brought her head low and whispered. "Where are Rune and Nellie?"

Blankridge was about to say he didn't know, but soon spotted Nellie approaching from behind. So Blankridge pointed. "There!"

As Nellie got closer, Blankridge and the other girls noticed who was walking with her. It was Rune... but they way he looked back in Glenhaven. Rune was a fire dragon again! Emerald and Roxanne quickly turned around to face Rune, while Blankridge walked around to the side. Rune and Nellie came to a stop and sat on their haunches.

"Rune?" Roxanne asked curiously.

"H-Hey, guys." Rune nodded.

"What happened?" Emerald took her spectacles off and cleaned them.

"It's a little hard to explain..." Rune shrugged his shoulders. Nellie looked around to see if anyone was listening, and then mouthed the words "dark magic" to her friends. Roxanne and Emerald seemed to understand quickly, but Blankridge's head hurt a bit.

"Well, it's good to see you back to your old self in any case." Roxanne smiled.

"Indeed..." Emerald nodded.

"Did you girls get any luck finding anything out?" Rune asked.

"Kind of..." Roxanne frowned. "We'll need to go somewhere secluded before we discuss it out in the open. Should we head off to an inn?"

"Not quite." Rune said. "You see..."

Suddenly, a loud bell started ringing. Blankridge and the others turned their heads towards the source of the bells. A number of villagers stopped doing what they were doing and made their way towards one spot in the village.

"That's coming from the temple." Rune said. He spun around and fluttered his wings. "The local Guardian has invited all of us to come to a sermon about the ancestors."

Roxanne and Emerald exchanged glanced, both of them curious and confused. They then looked back at Rune with concern.

"Are you sure, Rune?" Emerald asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Rune replied. "It might be beneficial to see if the ancestors can offer some guidance to m... us. To all of us."

Roxanne fluttered her wing and stood up. "Well, if you want to go, I'll go to."

"Me too." Nellie nodded.

"Fine, me three." Emerald sighed and walked forwards.

The whole time, Blankridge sat back on his haunches. He scratched his head in confusion and scrunched up his face. Too much was happening too fast.

 _Surprise, The girls found info on the Fiends! Surprise, Rune's a fire dragon again! Surprise, we're going to the temple!_ Blankridge shook his head and grumbled. _Why can't everyone stop to relax for five minutes?_

Blankridge felt somebody tapping his shoulder. He glanced up to see Nellie looking at time.

"Blank, are you okay?" She asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Blankridge chuckled. "You worry too much, Sis."

"If you say so..." Nellie shrugged her shoulders and turned to walk after Rune. Blankridge followed after them, trotting along without a care in the world.

~~...~~

Rune and his four friends joined a crowd of people as they gathered before the temple's doors. Rune looked around eagerly as everyone went inside. Nellie and Roxanne stayed close behind, while Emerald kept Blankridge from getting too distracted. A number of the dragons in the crowd were wearing nomadic robes.

Rune's ear frills twitched. They were nomads, just like the dragons that arrived in Glenhaven. But were they just like the nomads from Glenhaven? He tried to let those feelings fade away. This was a dragon temple. He had to be safe here...

The interior of the temple was one of the most amazing things Rune had ever seen. The floor was covered in a thick, red carpet to silence footsteps. Four rows of bleachers lied the floor. The two center rows were large red cushions for dragons, and the outer rows were wooden bleachers for bipedal attendees. The walls were lined with symbols of the four light elements in intricate patterns. At the very back was a large statue made of amethyst, and molded into the shape of Lord Spyro.

 _Wow..._ Rune's expression beamed as he walked through. A tiny spark if discomfort struck the back of his head, but he ignored it.; _This place is incredible_.

"It's so unlike the palace back home..." Nellie remarked.

"It's alright, I guess." Blankridge grunted.

In the background, Rune could hear an organ being played, while someone harmonized with the music. They sang a song of praise to the ancestors.

Rune spotted several dragon children heading for the front of the center-left aisle. Rune followed them there, as did his friends. He sat down in the front row, and the others sat around him. Emerald tried her best to sit like a proper lady, but she was constantly irritated by Blankridge's slouching. Nellie was mesmerized still by how large temple was. And Roxanne sat in a way that her wing draped across Rune's back. He could barely hear it through the music, but Rune could almost swear he heard purring.

The head of the temple was a semispherical sanctuary. A short few steps led up to a stone podium. A large altar and a golden altarpiece was behind the podium. The later was covered in tall candles and a golden cloth, with a purple dragon head emblazoned on it. Four orbs representing the light elements revolved around the dragon head.

Something made Rune's stomach churn. He couldn't figure it out at first, but then it slowly dawned on him, making his stomach feel worse.

 _This temple is all about Lord Spyro and the light elements... but what about Lady Cynder?_

Rune's thoughts were cut off when the music in the background came to a sudden end. He looked around to see that all the aisles were full and everyone was silent. Blankridge was mumbling something, but Emerald smacked him upside the head.

"Pay attention." She whispered fiercely.

"Sorry..." Blankridge rolled his eyes.

One of the doors at the back of the temple opened up, and Guardian Scelus strode on in with a merry gait. He was followed by two cheetahs, one of whom spread incense through the air. Scelus came to a stop before the podium and opened a large tome.

"Welcome, friends and loved ones." Scelus said to the gathering.

"Greetings, Sir Scelus." The crowd said.

"This afternoon," the Guardian continued, "We shall be going over six defining principles that our Ancestors set forward for us. Our lord, Spyro, shared these virtues with all of us so that way we achieve enlightenment and unity with our world."

Rune scratched behind his head. Principles? What principles? He'd never heard of these things before. Not from the loose memories of his grandfather. And certainly not from the Elders of Glenhaven. Rune glanced around at his friends. They all seemed just as confused as him. Well, except for Blankridge, who was in his own little world. Rune shook his head and rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Scelus. The Guardian placed a hand on his tome and turned a page. He read from it loud and clear:

 _"Valor: Uphold one's convictions in the fires of your belly, even in the face of threats._

 _Compassion: Recognize and share the feelings of your brethren, and never have a heart of ice._

 _Honor: Stand for truth regardless of circumstance, and strike like lightning against corruption._

 _Justice: Have the wisdom to perceive what's right and wrong, with vigor as strong as the earth._

 _Honesty: Have scrupulous respect for truth, and never cloud the mind with deception._

 _Humility: Recognize the worthiness of all beings, and the perception of one's place and time among them regardless of accomplishments and mistakes."_

 _Most of them have something to do with one of Spyro's elements_. Rune nodded his head. _Was that a coincidence... or deliberate?_

Scelus closed the tome and passed it to a cheetah servant. The Guardian then faced the gathering directly.

"Of all the six principles, none stand more important than honesty in this day and age. To live a good life, one must maintain a blameless conscience before all others. But time and again, there are beings, be they young or old, who attempt to deceive those around them. But habitual liars will only destroy themselves in the end. For example, many liars were brought to a swift end in the Twilight War."

Rune shivered. _What does he mean by THAT?_

"Let it be known, now and forever, that liars' lips will ALWAYS be put to silence." Scelus was now shouting. "We will all become one with the world when we die, but the souls of liars are a poison on the land. The Ancestors despise any who would poison our beautiful realms, and none more so than our Lord Spyro."

Rune heard someone murmuring somewhere behind him. His tail twitched, but he didn't dare look around. Scelus had taken a moment to collect himself before speaking again.

"Those who keep the truth in their souls, they are the ones who will prosper. Admit to the mistakes you have made. Admit that there are faults within you. Accept it. It was once said that you reap what you sow. If you sow truth and integrity, you will receive it in turn. For no matter how low you have fallen, the truth shall set you free."

From then on, Scelus continued speaking to the crowd. All the while, Rune was lost in thought, and would occasionally reflect on what the Guardian was saying.

 _I guess what Scelus is saying makes sense..._ Rune nodded hid head again. _But I still feel like something's wrong. Why isn't he talking about Lady Cynder?_

~~...~~

Eventually, the sermon ended. Everyone had made their way out of the temple. Guardian Scelus asked Rune and his friends to follow him into the back hallway of the temple. The five young dragons were given bundles of spare supplies gathered by the cheetahs. They all returned to the main chamber afterwards.

Rune and Blankridge had traded in their old and damaged armor for new sets of training armor. Both sets were a sparkling white; Rune could almost see his reflection in the shoulder-guards.

"Thank you, sir." Nellie said with a smile as she put together a bundle of straw. "This will really help us out on our trip to Warfang."

"Yeah." Roxanne said as she wiped down her leather armor. "I think we can handle the trip just fine."

"You're all most welcome, young ones." Scelus smiled.

Rune and the others had gathered before a statue of Spyro in the corner of the main chamber. Rune looked up at it, his sense of awe returning.

"It's been a while since I've been this close to as statue of Lord Spyro." He said.

"And why is that, child?" Scelus asked.

"Well..." Rune turned to look at the Guardian. "We've been on this journey for quite a while now.

"Perhaps the five of you should spend a moment to ask our Lord for guidance." Scelus nodded his head. "Maybe after wards we can find warm meals for your bellies."

"Sounds good to me." Blankridge grinned. "Fruit's good and all, but I could use some steaks."

Emerald glared at Blankridge, but her stomach rumbled. Her anger weakened immediately. "Darn it, I have to agree."

"Before we do all of that..." Rune cleared his throat. "Sir Scelus, what do you know about Spyro and Cynder?"

"Hmm?" Scelus eyed Rune curiously. "Oh, I know everything there is to know about the Terror of the Skies."

A pit formed in Rune's stomach. That wasn't the title knew for her; The Living Shadow. The others seemed merely ignorant that either title existed for her at all. Whatever the case, all five of the younglings listened to Scelus's story.

"Cynder was a terrible General of the armies of a great evil. Early Guardians fought against her in a long and dangerous war. Eventually, the great hero Spyro rose up and finally defeated her once and for all!"

"I know about that story..." Rune said. "But what about what came afterwards?"

Scelus froze. He smile faded away. "... **afterwards**?"

"Y-Yes..." Rune said awkwardly. "I used to hear some... stories about Cynder..." He shifted left and right as he grew more nervous. "Like how Cynder sought to redeem herself after being freed from evil's grasp."

Scelus seemed unnerved for a moment, but then he took a breath. "I can assure you, she was defeated, plain and simple."

"I know..." Rune nodded. "But then she helped Spyro defeat the great evil, and... uh..."

"Just where did you hear such stories, boy?" Scelus asked. There was a hint of anger in his voice, though he tried to mask it.

Rune stepped back, his paws trembling. His friends all looked at him with concern and fright. Rune took a deep breath and looked right up at the Guardian.

"They were stories my grandfather used to tell me." Rune said.

"Your grandfather." Scelus repeated. His talons wracked against the carpet and he raised an eye ridge. "...Where did you _orphans_ say you were from again?"

"We used to live down south." Emerald quickly said. "We're trying to find new homes in Warfang."

"Warfang... right." Scelus nodded. He turned around. "Well, bear in mind that those are just stories, boy. Tall tales. And I imagine that those aren't too far removed from _lies_."

The Guardian walked away towards the back of the chamber. "Well, I'll leave you young ones to offer prayers to Lord Spyro and the Ancestors. And try to leave your grandfather's stories dead and buried, boy."

"Uh..." Rune's features drooped. "Right..."

Rune's friends gathered around him. Nellie draped a wing over his back. He sighed and looked up at the statue of Spyro.

"Are you okay, Rune?" Roxanne asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, guys." Rune sighed.

"What was all of that about Cynder?" Emerald asked. "I haven't heard much about him. Apart from once or twice from Sir Voden..."

"I guess I was just..." Rune fluttered his wings nervously. "Remembering some things my grandfather told me..."

"Your Grandfather?" Nellie repeated with a frown. "I get the feeling you're not talking about anyone related to Mom and Dad."

"Yeah..." Rune said. He took a deep breath and started whispering to his friends. "His name was Urobos..."

As Rune whispered a story to his friends, none of them noticed Scelus watching them through the crack of the door at the back of the chamber. Not only that, but none of them noticed a certain robed dragoness standing behind a pillar on the opposite side.

"Hmm..." Scelus muttered to himself. "I'm pretty sure those sailors mentioned only _four_ orphans..."

 _That boy..._ She thought, her resolve growing. _He's wearing a Shroud of Darkness._

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I don't really have a lot to say this week. This is but a setup chapter to establish some hectic events later on. I just hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the minor bits of drama I tried to sprinkle within it. See you next week!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	16. Act 2, Chapter 2

After what seemed like an excessively long voyage, The _Red Queen_ and its fleet finally arrived at the northern continent.

Saul stood proudly on the deck beside his family as the massive ship pulled into the port village. Jonathan and Olivia looked out with joy at the small township adjacent to the docks. The many nomads who awaited the next part of their journey were eager to leave the fleet. Harlon looked out proudly, his daughter dancing around his forepaws.

Albanion sighed. He stood amongst the crowd alongside Elza and Aegis, who waited in silence. Albanion felt an aching in his chest. His beloved nephew Cyrus was nowhere to be found to the south. This arrival on the northern continent only meant the continuation of his search for his beloved nephew.

Bridges were set up to allow sailors and nomads alike to get off the sailing ships and march out into the township. The first ones off the vessel were Saul and his family, who were flanked by guards. Albanion watched them go with a sneer.

 _We must keep an eye on that dragon_. Albanion growled. _We can't risk having him jeopardize Bane's mission. Things would only grow chaotic from there..._

As the three Deep Shadows walked in secret amongst the nomads, Elza had a look around.

The town was built upon a peninsula that stuck out partially from the mainland with a slight curve. The outer edge of the town was made up of docks for ships. Short huts and buildings were adjacent to the southern docks, while taller buildings stood atop a hill the further north the village went. A giant statue of Lord Spyro could be seen in the distance, high atop a mountain.

"What is this town?" She asked curiously.

"This is the township of Ninn." Aegis said as he walked beside Albanion. "Only a few hundred dragons live here. Searching here wouldn't be too hard."

"I suppose you're right." Albanion nodded. "But figuring out where to begin is always a chore."

"Might I make a suggestion?" Harlon asked, stepping up to them. Lillia rode atop his back. "Perhaps you three could spend the day with us before you resume your work?"

Albanion frowned. "I appreciate your hospitality, Harlon, but what we're doing is vitally important. We can't waste a single minute when we could be searching."

"But couldn't you take a break for just a little while?" Harlon insisted. "I would love to have you three share lunch with us."

"I could certainly use the time to get used to being back on land." Aegis said. "Why don't we take him up on the offer?"

"I agree." Elza said, stretching out her neck. "I could use the relaxation."

Albanion sighed as he looked between his two companions. "If you both are insistent on this, then fine. We'll share that lunch with you, Harlon. Just know that we may have to get to work at any moment."

Harlon smiled. "It'll be my pleasure, Albanion."

Albanion and his companions followed Harlon on their way through the township.

~~...~~

Cyrus was shaken awake by Lilith. He sat up on his mattress and groggily stretched out his neck.

"Time to wake up, 'Edge'." The dragoness chuckled. "It's time to get going."

The prince opened his eyes and looked around at the room. He and Lilith were disguised a red dragons. Looking outside, Cyrus saw Wraith and Tina waiting by the door, in similar disguises.

"Give me a few minutes..." Cyrus let out a yawn. He stood up and did a few exercises to get the stiffness out of his muscles. When that was done, he walked by Lilith and stepped out into the light of the dragon city of Avalar.

The valley of Avalar had expanded its territory in the many years since the start of the new age. The dragons worked with the cheetahs to build a beautiful new city, also named Avalar. Every building was built around the many trees and rivers to preserve the beauty of the jungle. The robes were dirt paths lined with grass. Thousands of small gems were used as lampposts, charged by the light of the sun. Massive mole turbines were used to convert water from the rivers into energy. At the center of the city of Avalar sat a great mountain, upon which was a dragon temple.

Cyrus's group had all disguised themselves as a "family" of fire dragons. They managed to find a large group of fire dragons who were all migrating to Avalar from Ingys. So when all the fire dragons passed into Avalar, Cyrus was initially thrilled. Surely it wouldn't take much difficulty finding a single fire dragon in such a large crowd to join his cause.

But then the battalion from Warfang showed up.

Soldiers bearing the seal of Warfang too position in the inner city of Avalar. They started patrolling the fire dragons, questioning them on anything they might have seen in Ignys during Horus's murder in Ignys. Not wanting to deal with them, Wraith had the group move to the outer limits of Avalar, where he rented a simple hut. If anyone came by, Wraith said that the story they should give is that their "family" left for vacation when the disaster happened.

Cyrus was dejected, but there wasn't anything they could do. They would just have to focus on looking in Warfang.

~~...~~

The air was filled with music and merriment at Saul's feast. The Commander felt compelled to host a big banquet at the wealthiest restaurant in all of Ninn. He invited all of the nomads who journeyed on the Red Queen, which naturally included Harlon and the Deep Shadows. Not that Albanion or his comrades were foolish enough to reveal that, of course.

Albanion and his companions sat at the very back of a long white table. Harlon and Lillia were across from them, enjoying the feast. Aegis and Elza chatted casually with the other nomads. But Albanion sat in silence. He calmly ate from a plate of various fruits while glancing here and there at Saul. Olivia and Jonathan sat on either side of them, enjoying themselves as well. The endless chattering of the nomads passed in and out of Albanion's ear frills, none of them saying anything of real interest.

Albanion took time to reflect on the last time he had been to such a merry gathering; the thirtieth hatchday of his best friend. It was supposed to be the start of a glorious new reign. Albanion would have followed his new king with something better than loyalty; brotherhood. But it was all taken away in one night. So many of Albanion's loved ones were taken from him by the Order of Culmubrae. First the Twilight War, then the fall of The Hive. He couldn't remember the last time he was truly happy.

Albanion's eyes turned back to Saul's wife and son. They were a happy family, even if Saul was plotting against Albanion's lord. But to see the strong bonds between Saul and his family... to see their bright faces... Albanion turned towards Elza, and his thoughts on how he wanted to share that bond. He glanced towards Aegis, who noticed Saul's family as well. It was clear that the burly drake was remembering his own family. All three of the Deep Shadows shared the feelings of longing and hurt.

 _Perhaps that is what unites us to search for Prince Cyrus the most._ Albanion sighed. _The hope to rebuild someone's family, if not our own._

Eventually Albanion saw Saul stand up at the table. He picked up his bowl and tapped it with a spoon. The clinking soon caught everyone's attention, and they turned to look at him. Albanion watched the Commander curiously, as did Elza and Aegis.

"Everyone," Saul began, "I hope you all enjoyed the voyage aboard my humble vessel. It was quite an honor to have such fine people join my family as we made our way to the north."

The gathered nomads gave their thanks to Saul. Albanion only scoffed to himself.

"My family will be leaving tomorrow morning to head for Warfang. Whether you lot go ahead of us or stay behind, that's not up to me to decide. But I wish you all the best of luck. May the Ancestors guide you as a light to cut through the darkness."

A few of the nomads gave a low murmur, but most of them gave the same blessings back to Saul. Once again, Albanion stayed silent, drinking from a bowl of water.

 _If you knew how many dark dragons were in your presence, Saul, you wouldn't be so quick to bless us._

Albanion put down his bowl and draped a cloth over his plate. He stood up, signaling for his companions to follow after him. Curious, Elza and Aegis stood up and followed after him.

"Where are you all going?" Harlon asked them.

"I need to step out for some... fresh air." Albanion said to the chief. "And I believe my companions need just as much."

"Well, alright..." Harlon nodded. "But be sure to swing by the huts at the northern end of the village, where my people will be staying. Don't vanish out of Ninn; I'd like to give proper goodbyes first."

"As you wish." Albanion said. He and his companions stepped out of the restaurant and took off into flight.

~~...~~

Wraith and Lilith brought Cyrus and Tina to a secluded cave about a quarter of a mile north of the city. The cave was at the base of a large mountain, and went deep into it. The walls of the cave were lined with many chunks of red and green gems. Much deeper into the cave was a large open chamber.

Cyrus grimaced as he looked around at the dark walls. Even if they were illuminated by the glowing gem clusters, shivers ran up and down his back. Tina seemed to share the same feeling; she stuck tightly by Lilith's side the entire time.

"Why are we training in a place like this?" Cyrus asked.

"This used to be a place of training for dark dragons." Wraith said as he ducked under a stalactite. "Deep Shadows would train younglings on proper magical ability." Wraith fluttered his wings and grinned. "I'm surprised it's still untouched, really. I would have figured the light dragons would have taken over."

"Did Dad ever come here?" The prince wondered.

Wraith scratched his mane. "Maybe? I wouldn't know; I never came here with him."

"Whatever the cave," Lilith stepped forwards, "This seems like a safe spot to train you two in magic." Lilith nudge Tina forwards. "Go stand off to the side of the chamber, Tina."

"Alright, Mom." Tina said. She did her best to put on a brave face as she walked forwards.

"Cyrus, stand in the direct center of the chamber." Wraith said.

"Got it." Cyrus nodded. As he approached the center of the chamber, Cyrus glanced at Tina. He noticed that she still had reservations about being in the dark cave. With a grin, Cyrus decided to stride forwards with pride and grace. Maybe impressing her with his magic would do the trick to lighten her mood.

"Listen up, you two." Wraith said to the younglings. "Tina, your task will be to launch a series of lightning-bolts at the prince. You'll also be holding this..." The lanky dragon took a gold bracelet off his wrist and placed it around Tina's forepaw.

Tina looked at the bracelet curiously. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"I'll explain in a moment." Wraith turned around to address Cyrus. "Your Highness, your task will be to use your own lightning magic to redirect the lightning-bolts away from him. You'll try to chase Tina down and snatch the bracelet away. Let's see how long it takes you to get it."

"Got it." Cyrus nodded. He turned to Tina and grinned. "Let's do this."

"Very well." Wraith nodded. He stepped back and cleared his throat. "Begin!"

The lightning-bolts came down almost as soon as Wraith started talking. Cyrus shadow-jumped out of the way with a gasp. He scrambled to run away as Tina sent more bolts his way.

"Run run run, or you'll be well done..." Tina said in a sing-song voice. She sent another few bolts after him.

"Not funny." Cyrus grimaced.

In a moment or two, Cyrus finally noticed a definite pattern to Tina's brilliant barrage of bolts. He began to pace himself so he could plan his moves accordingly. He saw a slight opening in her attack pattern which became windows of opportunity to shadow-jump. Before long, Cyrus was jumping, dodging, and teleporting right through her pattern. As Cyrus got closer, Tina picked up the pace, trying to change up her pattern. Cyrus winced as a lightning-bolt came scarily close to hitting him, but he managed to get out of the way in time. And once he was close enough, Cyrus shadow-jumped beside Tina and snatched the bracelet away.

"Hey!" Tina gasped.

"I did it!" Cyrus grinned, holding the bracelet in the air.

Wraith clapped his forepaws, while Lilith nodded in approval.

"Good work." Wraith grinned. "Next time, we'll have Lilith stand in to make it more difficult. Take a few minutes to catch your breath before we continue again.

Cyrus sat down on the ground, panting. He didn't want to admit it, but it was a harder than he let on. Tina was quite precise with her magic; Cyrus came close to getting hit multiple times during the exercise. But he was too proud of himself to admit it aloud.

"Alright, I think you've gotten yourself composed again." Wraith grinned. "Give Lilith the bracelet and let's move on..."

Cyrus grimaced as he stood up. It seemed like the training never ended sometimes...

~~...~~

Albanion sought out the most barren and secluded section of all of Ninn. Once he spotted a back alley at the northern edge of the town, Albanion and the others came to a landing. Albanion shut his eyes and took a peaceful breath. He looked towards the front and back of the alley, making sure that no one was listening in on them. Once he was sure that nobody.

"What's this about, Albanion?" Elza asked curiously. "Why bring us out here?"

"We need to make a plan." Albanion whispered. "I believe that we should leave before nightfall. It's imperative that we get a head start on Saul, before he goes to Warfang."

"Are you sure?" Elza asked. "Weren't we going to search this town for Cyrus?"

"I doubt we're going to have time." Albanion shook his head. "If he's leaving on the morrow, we need to be far ahead of him. Saul's men could provide a major hindrance to our lord's plans for Warfang."

"What do you think we'll find once we get there?" Elza wondered, resting against the side wall.

"It all depends on whether our lord feels prepared enough to enact his next phase of the plan. Aegis said, flapping his single wing. "He's been preparing everyone for this for some time now."

"Which is all the more reason that we need to get going." Albanion stamped his paw. "We MUST find out what's going on in Warfang."

Aegis and Elza exchanged glances. They then turned to Albanion and nodded yes to him.

"But do you think Wraith and Lilith know what we've told King Bane?" Elza asked, stepping forwards.

Aegis's eyes lit up. He walked around the others, scratching his beard.

"That's a very good question. Perhaps this would be a great time to contact them to find out?"

Albanion snorted. Obviously this was just an excuse to contact his wife and daughter. But Albanion couldn't fault the burly drake for wanting to speak to them.

"Very well, Aegis." Albanion nodded. "Summon forth the spell to reach them. Though try to hone in on Wraith's spirit; he was always the most potent with such forms of magic."

"Certainly!" Aegis declared. "I haven't spoken to my two favorite dragonesses in a fortnight!"

Elza smirked, while Albanion rolled his eyes. Aegis prepared the spell that was used to make contact with other Deep Shadows across the realms. He summoned forth the dark magic with haste...

~~...~~

Wraith gasped and clutched at his chest. He shook and grunted, his breath accelerating.

"Wraith?" Lilith asked with concern. "What's wrong?"

"Hide the prince!" Wraith shouted. The drake ran over and grabbed Cyrus by the horn. He forcibly moved Cyrus towards a secluded corner of the cave. Lilith and Tina watched in confusion.

"Hey!" Cyrus shouted. He kicked and squirmed, but couldn't escape Wraith's grip. "What are you doing?!"

"No time for banter!" Wraith shouted. "HIDE!"

Once Wraith had shoved Cyrus into the gap in the wall, he created an orb of shadows in his forepaw. He tossed it at the ground, and it exploded into a wall of black flames. Cyrus gasped and leaped back as the flames rose up to the ceiling. But they didn't burn, nor did they cloud the air with smoke. Instead, darkness shifted in color, until they matched the color of the cave walls. Cyrus was hidden completely from view, with only a few gem clusters to light up where he was. Cyrus thrust himself against the wall in and attempt to pierce free, but to no avail.

"Wraith, let me out of here!" Cyrus demanded.

"Shut up, you'll blow your cover!" Wraith exclaimed.

"What are you going on about, Wraith?" Lilith asked.

Tina wandered over, just as confused as her mother. But instead of answering their questions, Wraith ran over to the entrance of the chamber. His breathing accelerated further, until he could hold back no longer. Wraith opened his jaws wide, and a large pool of dark energy flowed out. The drake's entire body shook as the energy swirled around him. It massed together before his body and transformed into a black "window", floating in the air. Lilith curiously stepped forwards, realization slowly dawning on her.

"What is it, Mom?" Tina asked, her head tilted.

"We're being contacted." Lilith answered.

The dark tendrils in the window swirled around for a moment as Wraith took deep breaths. By the time he composed himself, a silhouette took shape in the window. Lilith stepped beside Wraith as the silhouette took on the appearance of a red dragon in a dark hood.

"Who goes there?" Lilith asked in hushed tones.

The dragon pulled back his hood. The dragon had the face of Albanion, leader of the Deep Shadows. Lilith's eyes went wide, and she bowed her head.

"Albanion?" Wraith asked nervously.

"Aye." The dragon spoke.

"Well, uh... this is unexpected." Wraith said, his eyes darting a back and forth. "H-Hi there, Al. What's up?"

"Unprofessional as always..." Albanion gave an exasperated sigh. He looked between Wraith and Lilith. "Has Lord Bane contacted you recently?"

"The king hasn't contacted us for weeks." Lilith answered. "Why do you ask?"

Albanion nodded his head. "Elza, Aegis and I have arrived on the northern continent, and are to the southeast of Warfang."

"Oh..." Wraith grimaced. "Uh, okay."

"Before we continue on our part of the search," Albanion continued, "We're contacting you to pass on some important information.

"Oh?" Wraith asked. "What is it?"

"There is a high possibility that Prince Cyrus is travelling to the Well of Souls, with plans of reviving Queen Elenar."

Wraith's eyes widened. He briefly exchanged a glance with Lilith, who tried her best to look unfazed. Obviously the pair already knew Cyrus's plan. By the ancestors, they were helping him along! But they had kept it secret. None of them planned on the other Deep Shadows getting the idea in their heads that Cyrus was travelling to the Well of Souls. Who knows what terrible trouble Wraith and Lilith would be in if the truth were exposed.

"D-Do you want us to travel to the Well of Souls to look for him?" Wraith asked.

"That may be unwise." Albanion shook his head no. "Our lord has given permission only to Elza, Aegis and myself."

"Oh. Okay then." Lilith said. There was an awkward pause of silence in the air for a short time. Wraith's mind raced to come up with a response to throw Albanion off the topic.

"...You two should head to the Well of Souls with great haste." Albanion said.

"Huh?" Wraith blinked in surprise. "Why?"

"Just go." Albanion insisted. "That's all there is to say on the matter. There's something else that must be dealt with, and it's far more important."

"What is it, Albanion?" Lilith stepped closer. Albanion stared at her for a moment. He shut his eyes and took a deep, long breath.

"Prince Rune is alive."

The words floated through the air for a moment. They bounced in and out of Wraith's ear frills. They just didn't sound real.

"What...?" Wraith asked.

"You heard me well enough." Albanion said. "Rune is alive."

"That's Cyrus's brother, yes?" Lilith queried.

"That can't be possible." Wraith insisted. "That's... that's just not possible."

"It's true." Albanion said. Wraith could almost swear he saw a tear forming in Albanion's eye. "Some time ago, my party was travelling through Glenhaven. And that's where we found him, disguised as a fire dragon. We have to flee from the Guardians, but there's reason to believe Prince Rune is still there."

"Are you planning on returning to Glenhaven to find him?" Lilith asked, fluttering her wings.

"Not yet." Albanion shook his head. "As much as I want to find him again, our lord has commanded us to continue the primary mission. But rest assured, once we've located Prince Cyrus, we WILL return to Glenhaven to reclaim the other prince."

"Well... if you say so, Al." Wraith shook his head yes. "In the meantime, we'll, uh... head for the Well of Souls. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to find the prince."

"Indeed." Albanion looked to his side for a moment. He shut his eyes and sighed before looking forwards again. "Lilith, your husband seeks to have an audience with you."

"Oh?" Lilith's eyes widened and she smiled. "Tina, come here."

Wraith stepped back as Tina enthusiastically took his place. The young dragoness was practically skipping into the air. Albanion stepped out of view, and was replaced by Aegis.

"Dad!" Tina exclaimed.

"Well, hello there, dear." Aegis smiled. He looked up at Lilith. "Lilith, how have you been?"

"We've been quite alright." Lilith nodded. "Tina has been improving with her magic by leaps and bounds."

"She has? Excellent. I wouldn't expect anything less from my little girl." Aegis gave a hearty laugh. "How have you been enjoying your journey across the realms, Tina?"

"They've been alright, Dad." Tina said. "I just wish that... uh... the circumstances were different."

"Aye, I understand." Aegis nodded. "Well, don't worry Tina. I'm sure we're bound to find Prince Cyrus somewhere. Then the two of you can study together again back home."

"Right..." Lilith said, lightly biting her lip.

Wraith frowned, but said nothing. It didn't take a genius to tell that Lilith and Tina hated lying to Aegis. Wraith hated it as well; he had so much respect for the scholarly drake. But alas, the prince's mission was on a need-to-know basis. And as long as Aegis was travelling with Albanion and Elza, he had to stay out of the loop.

"I hope you and your mother have been taking care of yourselves out there." Aegis said with a frown.

"You don't have to worry about us, Dad." Tina replied, her ear frills drooping.

"Of course I do. You ladies mean the world to me. I think about your well-being every day. What kind of drake would I be if I didn't?"

"Dad..." Tina said. She pretended to be embarrassed, but Wraith could tell that Tina was holding back a few tears.

"I hope you're doing well too, Aegis." Lilith took a breath, trying not to cry.

Aegis and Lilith looked each other in the eyes. As they rose their forepaws into the air, Wraith could feel their longing for each other. It reminded Wraith of something Bane had done once... But he shook his head and let the memories fade away.

"Well, I must be going now." Aegis said sadly. "Albanion, Elza and I have work to do. I love you two very much, alright?"

"Alright, Aegis." Lilith replied back just as sad.

"Bye, Dad..." Tina shared the feelings.

Aegis moved away from the window and Albanion stepped forwards again.

"May our Lady Cynder guide you..." Albanion bowed his head and shut his eyes.

Albanion's form melted into the darkness of the window. The window turned back into dark energy, which was absorbed into Wraith's body. His scales shivered as he grimaced. When the process was over, he had to stop himself from gagging.

"I despise it when that happens." Wraith sneered. He looked between Lilith and Tina. Tina stood beside her mother, who draped a wing over her back. They hugged each other for a few moments in silence. Wraith sighed, feeling almost as heartbroken as they did.

Once Lilith had regained her composure, she let go of Tina and walked towards where Cyrus was hidden behind the wall. Wraith followed her, noticing that Cyrus hadn't made a sound during the entire talk with Albanion and Aegis. Tina sat back on her haunches, a frown still on her face.

"Cyrus...?" Tina asked worriedly.

Wraith sighed and waved his forepaw through the air. The shadowy wall vanished, revealing Cyrus sitting on his haunches behind it. The prince's head was bent low, his nostrils sniffling.

"Your Highness?" Lilith frowned as she bent her head down low. "Are you alright, dear?"

Wraith grimaced. "Cyrus, how much of that were you able to hear?"

"All of it." Cyrus said, his voice nearly cracking. His looked up at the two Deep Shadows. "I heard what Albanion said about... Rune..."

Wraith and Lilith exchanged glances before looking down at the prince.

"How do you feel?" Wraith asked. "Do you believe it?"

"I... I don't know how to feel." Cyrus said. He stepped forwards out of the space with a forlorn expression. "My brother is... alive? He was in Glenhaven the whole time?"

"I... I don't know." Wraith frowned. "But you and I have never known Albanion to lie to us."

"Right..." Cyrus sighed, a few tears in his eyes. "I just... I just don't know what to think right now."

Tina stepped forwards and nudged his back with her wing. She tried to get him to lighten up with a smile, but it didn't seem to affect him.

"Come on, Cyrus. You should be happy." Tina smiled. "If your brother's alive, that means you'll get to see him again soon. Wouldn't that be great?"

"I guess..." Cyrus took a deep breath. He tried to put on a smile, but it faded away again. "I'm sorry. I know I should be happy at the good news. But it's just... it's a bit too much to take at face value. I wish I had some physical proof that Rune is alive..."

"I know, Your Highness." Wraith nodded. He stepped forwards and carefully draped a wing over the prince's back. "But we'll have to worry about that at another time. Right now, we need to be careful with what we do. Albanion has somehow figured out your plan by accident."

"Right..." Cyrus sighed.

"About that..." Lilith took a few steps forwards and looked at Wraith.. "Don't you think it's strange that Albanion would tell us to go to the Well of Souls just after saying Lord Bane forbids it?"

"I can't claim to know what Albanion's thinking..." Wraith shrugged his shoulders. "But Albanion and Bane go way back. If Albanion is defying our lord's orders, then he MUST have good reason."

"Very well..." Lilith nodded.

The four dragons made their way out of the cave. They soon stood at the cave's mouth, which gave them a direct view of the city limits of Avalar.

"Alright, let's head back." Wraith said, spreading his wings.

"Uh, Wraith...?" Cyrus asked nervously.

"Hmm?" Wraith folded his wings back up and looked down at Cyrus. "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

"Wraith, can I spend a few hours exploring around Avalar?" Cyrus asked. "I just need some... time to think."

"I don't know..." Wraith scrunched up his muzzle. "We can't have you going off on your own..."

"I could go with him." Tina said. She stepped up beside Cyrus's flank. "I can help protect him and stuff."

"Are you sure, Tina?" Lilith asked.

"It's not the first time Cyrus has gone off on his own." The young dragoness sat back on her haunches. "What's the harm in having me go with him?"

"Well, if your mother's okay with it..." Wraith sighed. "Very well. The both of you can go exploring. But don't travel beyond sight of the city. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Cyrus and Tina bowed their heads.

"Alright then. Off with you." Wraith extended a wing outwards.

"Take care you two." Lilith waved them off. "And be back before nightfall!"

Cyrus and Tina spread their wings and took off. While Tina had a genuine smile, Cyrus seemed to force one on. Wraith frowned as he spread his own wings.

 _Poor kid..._ Wraith shook his head.

~~...~~

"Well, this complicates matters, doesn't it?" Wraith asked.

He and Lilith were walking through one of the streets of Avalar. They were making their way back to the hut they rented.

"How so?" Lilith queried, walking slightly ahead of him.

"Well, our window of time to 'search for him' has dwindled." Wraith said, rounding a corner. "If Albanion's group is on the northern continent, it's only a matter of time before we bump into them."

"We'll just have to travel faster." Lilith stepped over a hole in the road. "First we'll hurry to Warfang, and then make our way north."

"I guess that could work..." Wraith shrugged.

There was an awkward silence as the two approached their hut. But as they flew up to the platform, Lilith whispered a question.

"Can you tell me about Prince Rune?"

"Rune?" Wraith came to a stop. He brought a forepaw up to his chin as he pushed the door open. "I actually haven't thought about Prince Rune for years. I just assumed he was... you know."

"My husband and I never got the chance to meet the rest of our lord's family before the indoctrination." Lilith walked inside and sat down. "It would be nice to meet Rune's brother."

Wraith closed the door and sighed. "I can't remember much about Prince Rune. He was only a cub when we all thought he died. He might be a completely different dragon now. But when he was little, he was cute enough I suppose. He and Cyrus were twins; both of them had Bane's face."

"Yes, I've noticed that about Cyrus." Lilith chuckled. But then she stopped chuckling and frowned. "Cyrus has come so far in terms of magical ability. Bane must be so proud of him. If only the prince would see that..."

"Believe what you want, Lilith." Wraith nodded. "But don't scorn Cyrus for feeling unloved by our lord..." His words were cut off by a yawn. "I'm going to get some rest before we're ready to leave."

"Do as you will, Wraith." She said as she sat down on a mattress.

Wraith rested at the back of the hut upon his own mattress. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep...

~~...~~

Cyrus and Tina had flown about in the sky for the better part of an hour. They played a brief game of tag, chasing each other about with seemingly no care. They eventually came to a landing beside a waterfall to the very north of the city limits. The two sat together on the ledge, looking out at the sights of the great valley before them. Cyrus took a sigh. After a day filled with training and worrying about current events, it felt good to just relax.

"Great view, huh?" Cyrus asked Tina.

"Yeah." She said with a smile, her eyes never turning.

Cyrus sat back on his haunches, casually looking between Tina and the valley. He was mostly referring to Tina when he said that, but she didn't catch on. He blushed a little, looking away from her.

No matter how blue Cyrus was feeling, Tina always seemed to pull a smile out of him. To him, Tina was the prettiest dragoness he knew. In his age range, at least. And to be honest, she was his best... and only friend. Ever since he met her, Cyrus had developed some strange feelings for Tina. He wanted to tell her he liked her, but could never outright say it. He tried dropping hints here and there, but she never noticed. And Tina wasn't like other young dragonesses. The most girly thing about her was her passion for flowers, but that was it.

When Tina wasn't randomly play-fighting with Cyrus and other boys, she was pulling pranks on them. Sometimes she'd spit over the sides of walls around The Nexus. She was seen as uncouth by most dragons his age. But to Cyrus, Tina was one of a kind.

"Cyrus." Tina said.

"Huh?" Cyrus blinked and shook his head. "What?"

"I asked when we should be getting back." Tina said. "But you've been staring off into space for a while now."

"When should we be getting back?" Tina asked.

"Oh..." Cyrus blushed. He folded a wing over his face. "Uh... I don't know."

Tina frowned. She shifted to on Cyrus's other side.

"Cyrus, are you feeling okay? You've been acting funny ever since we heard the news from Albanion."

"Oh, I'm fine. Don't worry about that." Cyrus waved her off with a forepaw. When Tina didn't look convinced, Cyrus took a deep breath.

He was trying his best not to think about his brother. Cyrus was still trying to let the thought sink in that Rune is alive. Should Cyrus drop everything and go find him? No, he has no time! He has to bring back their mother before their father's plan is completed. There's simply too much at stake to just drop everything and go to Glenhaven. And yet...

"Cyrus!" Tina shouted. She wracked her talons against the cliff. "Why do you keep zoning out? If something's the matter, you can tell me."

"Well..." Cyrus exhaled a bit. "There IS something I've been meaning to tell you, Tina..."

Tina frowned. "Well, it's a step up from the silence, I guess..."

Cyrus took another deep breath. He turned to face Tina, looking her in the eyes.

"Uh..." He tried speaking, but then he found Tina looking back with just as much purpose. His throat started to choke up.

 _No, you fool!_ Cyrus yelled at himself. _Don't get nervous! Tell her!_

"Cyrus, you're scaring me." Tina said, sitting back on her haunches. "Are you sure you're okay? Because you're not acting like it."

"Yeah, uh..." Cyrus felt the shivers allover. "Tina... What I've been meaning to tell you is... I... uh..."

As Cyrus tried to find the right words, he heard something coming from behind. Strange growling and hissing noises rose up over the waterfall.

"Hey, what's that noise?" Tina asked, looking around.

Cyrus frowned. He wasn't sure whether to be frustrated or relieved at the interruption. But whatever the case, he stood up to look around. He gasped in fright at what he saw.

Nearly a dozen beasts crawled out of a pool of darkness. They were covered in black feathers and had beaks filled with razor-sharp teeth. They had spider-like legs and the stingers of scorpions.

"Oh no!" Cyrus exclaimed.

The Dark Fiends leaped forwards to attack them.

~~...~~

Wraith was forcibly shaken awake by Lilith.

"HEY!" Wraith yelled. "What gives?!"

"We've got a problem!" Lilith exclaimed.

Wraith put his paws on the floor and stood up, groaning. As he shook his head awake, he heard the sounds of a great struggle echoing outside the hut. Wraith became unnerved as he pulled the door open to investigate.

Allover the city, many dragons and cheetahs were locked in a heated battle against a swarm of dark creatures. Some of the beasts were small, while others were massive in size. Archers rained arrows down from the sky. Bursts of flames erupted from the dragons' maws. But no matter how many were slain, the monsters just kept coming.

Wraith shivered in his bones. He knew immediately what was going on. He turned around in time to see Lilith stepping out of the hut.

"Lilith..." Wraith whispered. "Our lord has launched an attack on Avalar."

"What..?" Lilith stammered. "But... But this wasn't supposed to happen yet..."

"I don't have any other explanations." Wraith said. "We need to get out of here. Now!"

Lilith's eyes widened. She shivered for a moment, but then shook her head. She leaped down to the ground, spreading her wings out wide. A cheetah happened to be limping by as she landed. He was clutching his right arm, which had several fangs sticking out of it.

"Please, help us!" The cheetah begged.

Lilith frowned with guilt. She looked back up at Wraith, who was gliding down to the ground.

"Wraith, we can't just leave." She said, helping the cheetah stand upright. "These people need help."

Wraith grimaced. He thought up a plan as fast as he could.

"Alright, we'll split up." Wraith decided. "I'll go find the children and get them to safety. You stay here and deal with the Crepsculi."

"Got it." Lilith nodded.

"Crepsculi...?" The cheetah repeated with confusion.

"Don't worry about that." Lilith said. "I'll help you and your allies as best as I can!"

Wraith nodded and took off into flight. Lilith hefted the cheetah onto her back and marched off to help the other cheetahs...

~~...~~

The concept of time seemed to vanish as Cyrus and Tina defended themselves against the monsters. Tina slashed and clawed at the Fiends, forcing them back with snarls.

Cyrus unleashed several blasts of wind, knocking them off their feet. He then shadow-jumped to quickly appear behind them. The prince charged his talons with poison before slashing away. At one point, she was surrounded on all sides by four of the beasts. He shadow-jumped to Tina's side so he could slash and strike at them from behind again.

Tina used her jaws to rip several of the Fiends' throats out. Cyrus did the same, only with poison dripping from his fangs. The monsters did not bleed; they only scattered smoke and ash about as they "died". And despite the younglings' best efforts, the Fiends only kept coming.

It looks like there's only one other thing to try, Cyrus said to himself. Taking a great puff of air, the prince called upon his most powerful element: Fear. As he called on the magic, his eyes and talons glowed a deep red.

"Tina, take cover!" Cyrus shouted.

Tina nodded and leaped out of the way. Once she was a safe distance away, Cyrus unleashed his breath of air. He filled the sky with a harsh shriek, red shockwaves emanating from his maw. The shockwaves passed over the Fiends, penetrating their ears like knives through butter. The monster twitched and writhed in horror, falling backwards into the waterfall. By the time Cyrus had ended his magic, all of the creatures were defeated.

Cyrus took a long deep breath. It had taken a lot out of him to unleash Fear like that. Some of his muscles started to ache.

"Wow..." Tina remarked as she ran up to Cyrus's side. "That was unbelievable, Cy!"

"It was...?" Cyrus asked between pants.

"Yeah. You'll make a powerful warrior someday." Tina smiled. "Though you'll always be my favorite runt."

Cyrus frowned while Tina snickered. Same old Tina. He looked around at the aftermath of the battle. As he was finally starting to relax, he realized something horrible. The black pools that the monsters came out of weren't vanishing. Instead, they were shifting together to form one giant pool of mist.

"Tina..." Cyrus said with worry. He started backing up. "I think we've still got a problem..."

"What do you mean?" Tina asked. But then she saw it too, and her sunny demeanor vanished in an instant. She joined Cyrus as he backed up against the trees.

"Cyrus! Tina!"

With luck, Cyrus heard Wraith's voice. He looked up in time to see the Deep Shadow come to a landing a short distance away. Wraith looked down at the pool of mist with reservation and anger.

"Kids, get behind me!" Wraith shouted. Cyrus and Tina wasted no time running to stand behind their tutor.

Just as the younglings got safely behind Wraith, the mass of mist grew in size. The mist changed in shape, creating wide arms with sharp talons. The arms were followed by eight spider-like legs attached to a thick body. Soulless red eyes appeared in the mist, crowning a huge head.

The beast towered above the dragons, a low growl escaping its beak. Cyrus saw a Wraith shiver for a moment.

"I'm guessing you two defeated the Crepsculi." Wraith said with a nervous laugh.

"Crepsculi? Is that what they're called?" Cyrus asked.

"Yeah..." Wraith's mane stood on end.

"Then what's this thing called?" Tina wondered.

"This really isn't the time for those kinds of questions, you two." Wraith snapped. He extended his wings to completely block the younglings from view. "Don't move..."

Cyrus and Tina immediately froze up. Wraith's chest heaved as he tried to remain calm. The behemoth stared down at the dragons, never moving an inch. It's hissing and growling sent shivers up Cyrus's spine. He'd never seen a monster so big before.

"Why isn't it doing anything?" Cyrus whispered.

"I'm not sure..." Wraith whispered back. "It might have something to do with your father. If he's issuing commands to the crepsculi, maybe they're under orders not to attack dark dragons."

"But the smaller ones attacked us with impunity." Tina said.

"If that's the case, I don't know what to think..." Wraith brought a forepaw up to scratch his forehead. The behemoth's eyes followed his paw, but otherwise didn't budge.

"I think I've got an idea..." Wraith said. He cleared his throat and stepped forwards. "Listen up, beast!" The behemoth narrowed its eyes at Wraith, its growling simmering to a low hum. Wraith tried to push his fear aside as he continued shouting.

"Crepsculi, I command you to return from whence you came! Whatever your objective was, forget it!"

The behemoth didn't budge for a few moments. Cyrus hoped that the beast would start obeying. But his hopes were shattered when the behemoth gave a guttural roar. Wraith was knocked back a few inches, his face and mane being hit with strands of saliva. Cyrus and Tina grimaced with disgust.

"Charming..." Wraith wiped the goo from his face. "Now would be a good time to back away..."

The monster swung its left claw down to knock Wraith aside. He shadow-jumped away, grabbing Cyrus and Tina and pulling them with him. An earthquake erupted from where the beast's claw struck the ground. Cyrus and Tina crashed to the ground, their hearts racing with fright.

"This is bad." Wraith sneered. "Kids, sit this out! I'll have to take this beasty down myself!"

"Don't have to tell ME twice!" Cyrus shouted as he fled behind a tree. Tina shrugged and ran off to join him. The pair sat back to watch Wraith fight.

The Deep Shadow began shadow-jumping around the monster as it bore down at him. When Wraith emerged, he struck the beast's flanks with talons empowered with shadow. Before the monster could retaliate, he'd shadow-jump away again to strike the other side. The behemoth continued to come down at him in a brutal game of whack-a-mole.

"Get him, Wraith!" Tina cheered.

"Yeah, stop that thing!" Cyrus exclaimed.

No matter how bossy and strict Wraith was with Cyrus, no matter how much of a killjoy he acted concerning magic, Wraith was still a Deep Shadow. And for good reason.

Wraith teleported into the air above the behemoth and came down to strike with all talons. He then shadow-jumped to BELOW the beast for a follow-up strike. And to finish his combination, Wraith shadow-jumped to the behemoth's back legs to unleash a flurry of shadow-tainted strikes to throw it off-balance. but no matter what Wraith did, the behemoth didn't react with any pain at all.

"What's going on?" Wraith exclaimed. "It's not getting weaker!"

Running out of options, Wraith shadow-jumped away to think of a plan. The behemoth roared as it focused on him with its huge eyes... The eyes! Wraith leaped into the air, fueled with desperation. He shadow-jumped to the creature's face to stab at the eyes... but the beast knocked him out of the air.

Wraith plummeted down and crashed violently into the ground. Cyrus could hear bones _CRACK_.

"Wraith!" Cyrus exclaimed. He ran out from behind cover to help his tutor, who coughed up a bit of blood.

"Ow..." Wraith grunted as he rolled around. "I'm fine..."

Cyrus wasn't convinced. He nudged Wraith to get up onto his feet. Wraith looked at him incredulously.

"Don't worry about me." Wraith said, struggling to stand up. "Take Tina and get to cover."

"But..." Cyrus muttered. He watched as Wraith slowly limped forwards towards the monster. His left foreleg was clearly broken, as was his wing.

"It'll take more than that to slow me down." Wraith snorted.

"But Wraith, you're hurt." Cyrus grabbed his tail. "Fall back!"

"Stop wasting time!" Wraith pushed Cyrus back with a glare. "It's my job to keep your sorry rear from getting maimed. So let me do my job and get out of here!"

"No!" Cyrus shouted. "I won't let you get maimed for me!"

Wraith was taken aback. "Your Highness..."

Cyrus's heart was racing. He could feel his sadness melting away into anger. He looked up at the behemoth as it came closer. Magic began coursing through his veins.

"This is YOUR fault!" Cyrus screamed.

Suddenly, his eyes shined a bright white. His scales trembled and shook. Without thinking, Cyrus charged around Wraith and straight for the behemoth.

"Cyrus, NO!" Wraith shouted.

Cyrus jumped high into the air, ramming the beast square in the chest with the speed of a cheetah. In the blink of an eye, powerful magic erupted from the prince's body. And storm of black energy exploded outwards in all direction. Wraith was knocked backwards, and the trees were partially burned. Tina had to cover her eyes, though she shouted in fright. The behemoth howled in agony as its body was destroyed from the inside-out. It disintegrated into black energy, which faded away into nothingness.

Once the monster was gone for good, Cyrus fell to the ground. He was completely drained of energy; his muscles ached, and he could barely keep his eyes open. His heartbeat seemed much louder than usual. A ringing filled his ears, drowning out all other sounds.

Cyrus slowly turned his head towards Wraith, who was limping towards him with a look of horror. Tina came running out from the trees to check on the prince as well. Both dragons stood over Cyrus, saying things he couldn't hear. He tried to stand up, but he could barely move.

As Cyrus slipped closer to unconsciousness, he could barely make out what they were saying.

"...was that?" Tina muttered.

"... no clue..." Wraith said. He reached down to grab Cyrus in his forepaws, fright in his eyes. "...get up..."

But Cyrus could only twitch his eyes at them And after that, everything went black.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

To be honest, I've been running into a bit of writer's block. Sometimes it can be hard to come up with something interesting to write for chapters of this story. My good buddy Dardarax has told me to look at The Legend of Rune like it were a TV series, rather than a film. And that makes sense. But that doesn't mean every episode comes naturally. Oh well.

I hope you've enjoyed today's chapter, and here's hoping you like what comes next time in The Legend of Rune: Rising Fears.

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	17. Act 2, Chapter 3

The old grey dragon had spent the last week travelling to the west. He'd left the mushroom forest a few days ago, and was now venturing through the vast expanse of the plains leading to Warfang.

The hermit tried flying for an hour or so, but his wings were worn with age; he couldn't get very far. So, before he tired himself out, the old drake switched to walking on foot. He didn't mind this at all. Walking along the grass of the plains was a relaxing experience. He had gotten so used to the cloud-blocking mushroom caps of the forest that he'd almost forgotten the sight of a vast horizon.

The hermit kept walking until some time after noon. He decided to stop to set up a tent and a campfire for the night. He used some magic to start the fire and sat down on his haunches. The old drake sighed in content as he watched the crackling flames. The hermit then turned his eyes to the bright blue sky. He hummed a merry tune from his past.

"Look to the past, oh so far away..." The hermit sang lowly. He could almost feel a few tears from his sense of nostalgia. But he didn't have much time to enjoy it, as a voice came knocking at the corner of his mind.

 _Are you sure you should be stopping so much? You still have quite a long ways to go._

The hermit frowned. He stopped his tune and turned his head to the sky. The voices of his forefathers always came and went as they saw fit. He was never sure when to expect a visit.

"I have to pace myself if I want to keep my strength up for when the time comes." He said.

 _Are you sure? You might be better off simply creating a portal to Warfang._

"I'm not the dragon I used to be." The old drake sighed. "A lot of my power has faded with age. I guess I don't have the potent blood of my ancestors."

 _Very well, then. Just make sure you get to Warfang as soon as you can._

"Yes, my lord." The hermit bowed. He felt the voice leave him, as he sighed. His thoughts turned towards nostalgia once again.

 _Rune... Cyrus... I hope you boys are alright._

~~...~~

As the afternoon sun passed through the sky, Voden stood on the deck of the ship. He and his fellow Guardians had spent the last week renewing their resolve as they waited to arrive at the northern continent. Voden had tried his best to keep up the morale of himself and his friends, but it was easier said than done.

Voden looked around at the deck. Hontus and Seraph were standing together on the starboard side. Seraph seemed to be enamored with an amulet she purchased prior to their voyage across the ocean. She said something to Hontus, who laughed and nuzzled her forehead. Voden shook his head and chuckled. It was good to see that pair finally relaxing. Voden couldn't imagine the pain they must have felt from initially losing their children. Voden was grateful to see them smiling again.

Voden stepped back and stretched out his back. He turned around and looked near the back of the vessel. Jules was seated at a table across from a cheetah sailor. The pair were playing a game of checkers, using overturned bowls instead of regular playing pieces. Voden snickered and decided to approach them.

Jules grumbled to himself as he moved a bowl forwards to jump the cheetah's bowl. The cheetah promptly moved one of his own to jump over two of Jules's bowls. The captain grumbled louder, leaning back in his cushion.

"Are you doing alright, Sir?" Voden asked with a chuckle.

"I'm fine." Jules rolled his eyes. "I'm just not used to playing games such as this."

Voden sat down at the side of the table to watch the game. Jules captured a few more of the cheetah's pieces, but the sailor ultimately won the game in four turns. The cheetah offered a handshake for a good game, but Jules merely grunted and shook hands halfheartedly.

"Good game..." Jules shrugged. The cheetah dubiously took back his paw and set to work rearranging the bowls. Once the game was returned to normal, the cheetah stood up and bowed before walking away. Voden sat down where the cheetah was.

"Would you care for a game against me, sir?" Voden asked.

"Fine." Jules grunted.

Voden nodded and moved a bowl forwards. Jules moved his own bowl, and the came commenced. Voden scratched at his mane with a thumb-talon as he watched the captain.

"Sir, are you sure you're feeling well?" Voden asked.

"I've gone nearly a week without my pipe." Jules said as he glared at the scholar. "I have enough pent up rage to burst. Losing at this child's game is certainly not doing any wonders."

"I see..." Voden frowned as he jumped one of Jules's bowls.

"On top of that, my daughter is still out there on that inane quest for the Well of Souls. Sometimes I get so worried about her that I keep myself up at night." Jules stretched out his neck before jumping a few of Voden's bowls. "Of all the times to be told to put an end to my use of the pipe, this voyage has been the one time where I need it most."

"If I may, captain," Voden moved another bowl, "talking about the pipe is only going to make you think you need it more. I know of a much healthier way to relieve stress on a journey."

"And what way is that?" Jules demanded.

"Well, sir, before I settled in Glenhaven to teach at the palace, I went on many travels as a scholar around the realms." Voden said as he brought one of his bowls to Jules's side of the table. "Many of those travels involved sailing across the ocean, going both north and south."

"Mhm..." Jules nodded. "So I've heard from Hontus."

"Sir, have you ever travelled via ship before?" Voden asked.

"Only one other time." Jules grunted. "Back when I was still a lad."

"Well, then I suppose you're not used to stopping and looking out at the ocean?" Voden asked.

"No, I suppose I'm not." Jules shrugged as he jumped one of Voden's bowls. "Are you telling me I should do that?"

"It's worth a try, sir." Voden nodded. "Go stand up, look out over the deck at the waves. Open up an ear frill and listen to the waves. Even if it's only temporary relief, wouldn't that still be better than no relief at all?"

"Hmm..." Jules scratched his chin. After a moment of silent thought, the captain stood up from the table and turned towards the deck. Voden watched him curiously as he reset the game.

Jules stood at the edge of the deck, staying completely silent. He put his forepaws up on the guardrail and relaxed his wings. He stood there for several minutes, never moving from that spot. Voden hoped that it was enough for him to relax. The captain eventually turned back around. His features were noticeably more relaxed.

"Thank you, Voden..." Jules walked over and sat down. He sighed in relief. "I feel surprisingly better."

"You're welcome, Sir." The scholar bowed his head.

"Quite..." Jules stretched out his wings. "I could really go for a flight soon, though. Maybe I'll do a few laps once we're on land."

"Perhaps we should stop by the Silver Talon Academy for information." Voden said.

"Silver Talon?" Jules eyes Voden curiously. "What's that?"

"The STA is a place of great scientific learning, run by devout Shadow dragons." Voden said as he started another game.

"Shadow dragons?" Jules repeated as he pushed his bowl forwards.

"Oh yes." Voden nodded. "I used to train there academically in my youth. It was last run by Doctor Sheda, a respectable professor from the... uh..."

Voden couldn't help but notice several of the dragon sailors giving him funny looks. Most of the non-dragon sailors seemed to avoid looking at him, focusing on their work. Voden's paw idled over one of the bowls. The scholar scratched his head with a wing-thumb as they glared at him. Jules saw Voden's discomfort and looked around. Jules then looked back towards Voden with wary eyes.

"You'd best be careful about what you say, Voden." Jules whispered.

"I don't see why I should." Voden snorted. "The shadow dragons I knew in my childhood were decent people."

"Did you ever have a shadow dragon creeping into your bedroom at night?" One of the fire dragons asked from behind, anger in their voice.

"Did you ever have a shadow dragon stealing your eggs when you're asleep?" An ice dragon snapped, with surprisingly more fire in their voice.

Voden didn't respond. He didn't even look back at them. He just looked down at the table to decide on which bowl to move forwards. For the first time since the journey began, Jules had a look of concern on his face.

"I don't believe a word of it." Voden whispered with a snort. "All I hear is lies and chicanery spread in the aftermath of that blasted war."

"Voden..." Jules whispered back. "Why do you defend dark dragons so much?"

"If I don't, who will?" Voden asked. "The only other dragon I know of who wishes to give both sides of the conflict is Elder Telus. Why do you think he had me teach my students about the war? To show that it wasn't the dark dragons' fault it came about."

"I see..." Jules scratched his chin again. "Well, I've never known my father-in-law to make decisions lightly..."

"Heh. Lightly." Voden muttered, pushing a bowl forwards. "Light dragons are so quick to condemn the dark dragons en masse because of that war. And even now, on our quest to find the missing children, the dark dragons are being demonized."

"Voden, three powerful dark dragons invaded our city." Jules snapped. "They tried to coax that Rune boy into running off with them."

"But they didn't abduct him." Voden replied. "And even if they're indirectly responsible for him running off, even if what those three did was morally grey, I refuse to blame ALL dark dragons for the incident. Would that be honorable, Sir? To blame the many for the sins of the few?"

Jules started to say something... but then closed his muzzle. He clasped his forepaws together and sat back on his haunches. Voden took a breath and exhaled slowly.

"When I was a boy, I knew many dark dragons." Voden said calmly. "They were friends. Some were even like family. But thanks to that war, I was drafted into fighting for Ignys. I never saw any of my friends again. By the Ancestors, I don't even know if they're alive..." The scholar flapped his wings and stood up. "But I will NEVER dishonor the kindness the dark dragons showed me all that time ago."

"I see..." Jules said. He took a breath of his own. "I understand your sentiment, Voden. But understand that if we encounter hostile dark dragons, I expect you to fight alongside your fellow Guardians."

"I understand that, Sir." Voden said. "But that doesn't mean I won't hope that-!"

Something slammed down on the table, catching Voden off-guard. He looked up in surprise to see one of the sailors glaring back at him, forepaws on the table. He was missing a few talons, and most of his left ear frill.

"Where do you get off talking like that, huh?!" The sailor shouted. "Were you ever in combat during the war?!"

"No." Voden said blankly. "I took on a support role, healing my fellow dragons."

"Then what makes you think you know anything about the dark dragon?!" The sailor demanded. "I've seen Fear dragons do things that'll turn your scales white!"

"That's enough!" Jules snapped. He stood up and flared his nostrils at the sailor. "I won't have talking to one of my companions like that! Especially NOT a Guardian!"

"He's doesn't deserve that title." The sailor spat on the deck by Voden's forepaws. "I won't give respect to a dirty Darklover."

Voden didn't respond. He just held his breath and looked directly at Jules as the sailor barked his ear frills off.

"Get out of here." Jules shouted. "We don't need talk like THAT."

The sailor harrumphed. He just turned around and walked away, sneering at Voden as he left. The scholar merely sighed and resumed the bowl game. Jules became concerned again.

"Voden, are you sure you're alright? You're not usually this quiet."

"It's quite alright." Voden nodded. "You think I haven't heard those words before? When the war got heated, I decided to leave Ignys and move to the southern continent. I received plenty of nasty comments like that back then."

"How come you haven't discussed this before?" Jules asked as he pushed a bowl forwards.

"Was there ever need?" Voden shrugged. He cautiously glanced over at to where the scarred sailor had gone. The drake was speaking with some others in hushed tones, occasionally glaring back at him. Voden merely rolled his eyes. "Thankfully, Elder Telus proved to be a respectable dragon. That's why I decided to become a teacher in Glenhaven."

"Ah..." Jules nodded again.

"When did you decide to teach in Glenhaven?" Seraph's voice asked. Voden looked up to see her and Hontus approaching the table.

"Oh, I was just talking about some fonder memories." Voden said. "Never you mind, my friend."

"If you say so..." Seraph said. She glanced up at Hontus for a moment, then over to Jules. "What will we do when we get to the Northern Continent first?"

"I've already formed a plan in my head." Jules said. "Here it is..."

~~...~~

Jules and the others had to wait until late into the afternoon before the sailing ship arrived at the northern continent. The land stretched onwards from east to west. As the sun set in the western sky, storm-clouds formed on the edges of the horizon. The Guardians could just barely hear the bellowing thunder in the distance.

Voden seemed happy as the sailing part of their journey came to an end. He blissfully ignored the nasty comments some of the sailors made about tossing him overboard. At the moment, he stood at the bow of the ship, his eyes facing towards the fishing village that the ship approached. Hontus and Seraph stood on either side of him.

"When was the last time you travelled to that academy, Voden?" Hontus asked.

"Oh, it's been quite a long time." Voden sighed. "To be honest, I shudder to think about what's become of the place since the war ended."

"Can you tell us what it was like there?" Seraph wondered, stepping forwards a bit. She lightly smiled as Hontus draped a wing over her back.

"Oh, it was quite the intellectual hodge-podge back in the day." Voden looked back at her with a nostalgic sigh. "So many great intellectual minds came and went in the pursuit of knowledge. It wasn't exactly comparable to the dragon temple in Warfang, but it had its own merits. I remember one particular professor..."

Voden spent a some time going over stories from his time at the academy. Hontus and Seraph tried their best to follow along. But the more enthusiastic Voden became, the faster he spoke. One his childhood idols was apparently a Guardian from Spyro's youth; a scholarly lightning dragon named Volteer. Volteer's work in the field of historical record-keeping was what led Voden into pursuing the role of scholar. When Voden's story reached its end, he turned back towards the mainland. A spark shined in his eye when he saw a mountain range, so he pointed out towards it.

"Do you see that mountain range?" Voden asked cheerfully. "You can see the central tower of the Silver Talon academy upon it."

Hontus and Seraph followed his eyes towards the mountains. Sure enough, a tower was there. But the closer the ship got to docking, the more Voden's smile faded away.

"Wait..." He said, mildly glaring. "Something's not right."

"Oh?" Hontus took a better look at the academy.

The central tower was surrounded by six smaller tower, all of which were connected via a series of high walls and bridges. Most of the walls were a mish-mash of silver and gold tiles. A long staircase led up to the central tower, surrounded on all sides by a long golden railway. Atop the central tower was a massive telescope pointed at the heavens.

"I don't understand what's wrong, Voden." Seraph said with a frown.

"The towers are supposed to be all silver." Voden declared with a frown. "It's in the name, for the Ancestors' sake."

"Oh..." Hontus muttered. He glanced worriedly at Seraph. Voden ignored them and turned his sights towards the east. He sneer worsened.

"They tore down the statue of Lady Cynder." Voden said with frustration. He wracked his talons against the floorboards in agitation. "Why would they do that? It doubled as the village's lighthouse!"

"Voden..." Seraph said, feeling uneasy.

"Why would they be foolish enough to tear down a lighthouse?" Voden said in a huff. "Ancestors know it would be unsafe for ships to pass by here at night."

"There's no need to worry about that for now." Jules said from behind. The trio turned around to see the captain approaching them with their supplies. The yellow drake stood tall and took a breath of air. "We're heading straight for the academy. According to the sailors, Elder Matthew currently resides there. So we'll speak to him about current events. We might even get some help from him. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Hontus saluted diligently.

"Yes, Captain." Seraph bowed her head.

"Yes, sir." Voden took a moment to take a breath of air before putting on a smile. Seraph and Hontus eyed him curiously. The usually always-mellow dragon was putting on a front today.

When the vessel finally docked in the village, Jules and the Guardians said their thanks to the sailors and made their way to the academy. Many mole and cheetah villagers were going about their business in the village as they passed through. Many of them stopped and admired the presence of the noble Jules and his band of Guardians. One of the villagers told a dragon guard at the exit of the village, and he flew off towards the academy.

"Looks like they're going to roll out a welcome wagon." Hontus smirked.

"We won't have time for pleasantries." Seraph said. "Once we're done here, we continue on our mission."

"I know, love." He nudged her side.

Jules wasn't interested in the villagers. His gaze was on the dozen or so wagons lined up at the outer edge of the villager. Anger formed in his eyes when he saw the dragons standing around them. They all wore nomadic robes over their bodies.

"Nomads, nomads, nomads..." Jules sneered. "Everywhere we go, more nomads!"

"Do you think that's a problem?" Voden asked.

"Voden, we don't know who might be hiding amongst those nomads." The captain whispered. "If there are dark dragons in disguise amongst any of the nomads in any of the towns we've been to, then they're a rogue element. The fact that we've seen entire GROUPS of nomads in every village we've visited is especially worrisome. We have to alert all authority figures we encounter about what we've seen."

"I understand, sir." Voden sighed. The scholar glanced out at the nomads briefly before focusing on the academy.

When the foursome made their way up the steps, the thunderstorm finally poured down. By the time the foursome were at the top of the steps, Seraph had to use her magic to stop the rain from staining them. She sent the water pouring over the sides of the staircase. Up on the walls of the academy, they could see sentries scrambling about to get rid of the rain. Water dragons used their magic to lift the rainwater up from the courtyard and toss it over the walls. By chance, a bucket of water aimed at Jules and the others. Seraph quickly stepped forwards and used her magic to redirect the water onto a patch of grass.

"Thank you." Jules grunted.

"You're welcome, captain." Seraph nodded.

"Halt!" A voice called from one of the walls. "Who goes there?!"

Jules stepped forwards and spoke loud and clear. "I am Captain Jules, of the Guardians of Glenhaven. My companions and I have ventured north on a mission from Elder Telus."

"Elder Telus?" The voice repeated. "Wait right there! We'll tell Elder Matthew!"

"Very well." Jules declared. The foursome waited a few minutes until the front gate opened wide. A cheetah guard stepped outside and signaled for the group to enter. Jules walked with pride, while the others were more relaxed.

A large assembly of dragons and non-dragons were gathered together in the courtyard. Many of them were dressed more like warriors and archers rather than scholars. The cheetahs stood under makeshift awnings to shield themselves from the rain. Splashes of water could be heard all throughout the stone and grass.

At the base of the central tower, facing the foursome, was an old, brown-scaled dragon. His weary red eyes looked about curiously at the Guardians. he wore a red cloak over his body, which had a furred collar about his neck. He wore bronze plate armor on all four legs. He stood before a doorway with two cheetah guards.

"Greetings, Elder Matthew." Jules stepped forwards and bowed his head.

"Captain Jules, was it?" Matthew asked curiously. He stepped forwards and offered a paw-shake. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Who might your companions be?"

"These are Guardian Hontus, master blacksmith, and Guardian Voden, Historical Scholar." Jules motioned towards Hontus and Voden in turn. "The draken is Seraph, Hontus's wife."

"Seraph, eh?" Matthew remarked. "I swear I've heard that name before..."

"You have?" Seraph blinked curiously. "I don't think we've met, my Elder."

The aged drake tilted his head back in thought for a moment. He then tilted his head upwards completely and boasted with pride.

"Whatever the case, I humbly welcome you all to the Shining Talon!"

" _Shining_ Talon?" Voden repeated.

"Why yes. We've been hard at work salvaging this fortress ever since the war ended."

"I wouldn't call this academy a 'fortress', per se." Voden said. "I should know; I used to study here."

"Is that a fact?" Matthew eyed him curiously. Before Voden could say another word, Jules forcibly stepped in front of him.

"My Elder, we are on a dire mission from Elder Telus." The captain said. "Much has happened in the southern continent, and it's vital that we share it with you before we continue on our journey."

"Much has happened down south, too?" Matthew asked worriedly.

Too? That phrasing didn't do much to put the foursome's minds at ease. Jules's brow burrowed, Hontus and Seraph exchanged worried glances, and Voden frowned with concern. The Elder looked between his two guards, then back at Jules.

"I think it's best that you four step inside." The elder said.

"What do you mean, my Elder?" Hontus asked.

"I can't properly explain the details to you out in this weather." Matthew turned around. "Come, enter the tower. It's much safer in there."

"I see..." Jules looked back at his companions. "Well, you heard the Elder. Let's head inside."

"Yes, Sir." The other three said in unison. They marched forwards behind the Elder as his guards escorted them inside.

The group walked into a great, circular lobby. All around, the outer edges had a lower ceiling. Spiral staircases were nearby, leading up into the tower. The middle segment had no ceiling, allowing a view up to higher floors.

"This isn't at all how I remember it to be..." Voden sighed.

"A lot of the interior suffered severe damage during a heated battle." Matthew said. "I was commissioned by Pappas Richteriel to work on renovations when the region fell under Warfang's dominion."

"What a pity." Voden said. "The Silver Talon used to be a place of such splendor in its heyday."

"Interesting..." Matthew remarked.

The inner pillar of the tower had a large opening in the front facing the gate outside. The pillar had a get of its own, lead into a small room. At least two dozen soldiers stood guard within the lobby. Two earth dragons stood at attendance on either side of the pillar.

"Bring my and my guests to one of the council rooms." Matthew commanded.

"Yes, Elder. Right away." The earth dragons said with a bow.

One of the soldiers opened the gate, allowing Matthew and the Guardians to step inside. The two earth dragons followed behind. Once the gate was shut, the pair called forth their magic, striking the floor in unison. The circular platform within the pillar began rising slowly atop a column of stone.

"WAIT!" A voice shouted, catching the Guardians off-guard.

"Stop the column!" Matthew shouted. "Who is that?!"

A dragoness with bright yellow scales was let in through the entrance gate and came panting towards Matthew. She was dressed in the same nomadic robes as the ones seen in the village.

Hontus and Seraph was curious of the stranger. Voden peered through the gate from the very back with curiosity. But Jules sneered, his suspicions rising immediately. He watched silently as the dragoness came to a stop before the gate of the inner pillar.

"Your Grace..." The dragoness struggled to catch her breath. "Please wait..."

"Who are you, girl?" Matthew demanded as he stepped forwards.

"My name is Cassandra..." The draken said between breaths. "I was sent as an envoy of my people visiting the village. They want to know if they can have permission to worship at the temple here."

"Temple?" Matthew raised an eye ridge in curiosity.

"There used to be a temple in the lower parts of the academy." Voden said. "But that was years ago. I wouldn't know if it's still around now."

"Well, I'm sorry to say that there's no such temple here anymore." Matthew shook his head no.

"There isn't?" Cassandra's face drooped and her wings fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry, but no. The old temple was... dismantled due to a structural accident. We had no choice but to rework the remains into spare space for whatever the needs were."

"Oh..." The dragoness sighed. "I understand..."

Hontus scrunched up his face incredulously. Repairing damage to a place like this after the war was one thing... but dishonoring a place as sacred as a temple? That was most unbecoming of an Elder. Voden seemed to share the sentiment, as the scholar glared silently at the back of Matthew's neck. Jules and Seraph, however, intentionally glanced away from the Elder. None of the foursome seemed to have the nerve to voice their disapproval.

"Well, Elder..." Cassandra's voice came close to cracking. "If you can find it in your heart, would you please permit a poor group of wayward dragons to spend the night in this academy? We fear that our wagons won't withstand the storm tonight."

"Well..." Matthew scratched his chin. "If you fear for your peoples' welfare, I suppose you may all spend the night in the barracks... BUT, you will be under close watch. For our safety as well as yours, you see."

"Yes, I see..." Cassandra bowed her head, her spirit rising. "Thank you, Elder. I'll tell my people what you said..."

"You'd best hurry." Matthew said. "I fear that the storm's only going to worsen."

The dragoness bowed again. As she stood up, her eyes glanced over to Seraph for a moment. Cassandra seemed to take in the water draken's features, especially the amulet she wore. But then she quickly turned around and walked towards the front gate. Voden watched her the whole time with curiosity. Jules simply glared after the dragoness with clear mistrust.

"Well, now that that's out of the way..." Matthew walked to the back of the platform. "Take us to the council room!"

"Yes, Elder!" The earth dragons exclaimed. They immediately set to work summoning the column of stone again.

As the group of dragons rode up the tower, Jules stepped up to Matthew's side. Voden turned and listened closely to the conversation.

"Elder, I believe it was a wise choice to put those nomads under a close watch." Jules said.

"It's simply a standard security procedure of the fortress." Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "All visitors are under a close watch when the spend the night here.

Voden scrunched up his face. Nothing was the same here anymore. He just sighed internally as Jules spoke again.

"An issue has come up in Glenhaven revolving around nomads. And I think you'll want to hear it."

"Oh?" Matthew turned towards the captain. "Do tell."

~~...~~

"And we haven't seen those three ever since." Jules finished saying.

The Guardians sat down at a large white table at a floor high up in the tower. The chamber was brightly lit with a series of torches with magical fire. Matthew sat across from them, his forepaws clasped together as he focused on Jules. He had a graveness in his eyes that Hontus had seen in few other dragons.

"...So dark dragons have been able to disguise themselves this whole time?" The Elder asked.

"We don't know, Your Grace." Hontus answered.

"But what we DO know is that those three were hiding amongst a group of nomads." Jules said. "What troubles me is that we've seen other nomads, in just about every place we've visited on our journey so far."

"I see..." Matthew wracked his talons against the table. "And you're saying that there might be MORE dark dragons hiding in the nomads who've requested to stay here. Most serious indeed..."

"However," Voden spoke up. "We can't be sure if that's true, and if so how many there are. They could ALL be dark dragons, or it was only those three. I'd recommend caution and reasonable planning, my Elder."

Hontus nodded. It sounded like a good plan to him. He turned towards Seraph who looked quite distressed.

"Leave the worrying about the Shining Talon to me." Matthew said towards Voden. "But yes, plans WILL be needed..."

"My Elder..." Seraph spoke up. "Is there any chance you've recieved word about five younglings travelling across the land on their own?"

"No, I haven't." Matthew shook his head. "Why do you ask?"

Hontus felt slightly relieved. Nobody had spread word about a young black dragon travelling the countryside. He could keep the secret for a little while longer. But Hontus saw that Seraph was still distressed. Any news would have been good news to her.

"Our mission from Elder Telus is to find those children." Jules said. "One is my daughter, one is a civilian's daughter, and the last three are the children of Hontus and Seraph."

Matthew gasped. "My word! What happened?!"

Jules and Hontus explained the general events of that week in Glenhaven, just enough to keep the secret. Matthew's features turned serious once again.

"Oh, those silly little fools..." Matthew remarked. "They couldn't have picked a worse time to run away from home."

"You mean because of the dark dragon sightings, your Grace?" Voden asked.

"Worse than that, my friend; there's been a regicide."

Hontus and Jules gasped in surprise, while Seraph and Voden looked on in horror.

"What?!" Jules slammed his forepaws down on the table. "Where?! Who?!"

Matthew told the group the news about King Horus. Hontus felt sick to his stomach. He had never met the fire king personally, but he knew to have a modicum of respect for the patriarch of his clan. Voden, however, didn't seem as fazed. The orange drake only looked over at Matthew with the bare minimum of discomfort. Surprisingly, Jules was the most furious of the foursome.

"Dark dragons killed a king?!" Jules exclaimed.

"We don't know for certain..." Matthew said. "But that's definitely what the rumors say."

"Damn them..." Jules snarled. He instinctively reached for his pipe... but then put his paw down. He shut his eyes and took several deep and long breaths. Matthew watched him with confusion, but then turned towards the others.

"Pappas Richteriel has contacted me, telling me to keep an eye out for dragons wearing dark robes; the clothes of the assailants." The Elder said. "In the meantime, he's sent a battalion of dragons to guard Avalar and inspect the fire dragons who've migrated there from Avalar."

"Hopefully they'll catch the perpetrators..." Voden said.

Hontus nodded in agreement. Glancing at Seraph, he saw that she was growing panicky. He felt sickly again; no doubt his wife imagined that the killers would stumble upon the children. Hontus stretched out a wing to try and comfort her. She held it snugly to herself at first... but then she accidentally dug her talons into it. Hontus winced, but he didn't complain. He just listened in as the Elder spoke again.

"That's just the tip of the iceberg of the foreboding events happening lately. For you see, there have been a series of strange storms raging across the lands."

"Oh, we've noticed." Voden replied. "We saw the storm-clouds on our journey to the north. By the way, what happened to the lighthou-?"

"All questions about that kind of thing go towards Sir Neptus." Matthew quickly said. "He's been looking extensively into the storms lately."

"Neptus?" Seraph's eyes went wide. She let go of Hontus's wing and looked directly at Matthew. "He's here?"

"Of course. He's the chief astronomer and chemist." Matthew said. "Do you know him?"

"Know him?" Seraph stood up from the table. "He's my uncle."

Hontus nodded. The name definitely rang a bell. It just wasn't one they mentioned in conversation for a long time.

"Your Uncle?" Matthew repeated, eyes wide. "Ah, NOW I remember where I've heard your name from, Seraph! Neptus loves talking about his family from time to time. But he made it sound like you were just barely of marrying age."

"Well, I suppose it's been a long time since I've seen him..." Seraph stood up from the table. "Maybe I be excused to go talk to him?"

"I'd like to meet this dragon myself." Voden stood up in turn. "I've got a few questions concerning his studies.

"Go right ahead." Matthew nodded. "You'd all best spend the night anyway, if that storm's going to keep raging."

Hontus looked between Voden and Seraph. Jules didn't seem to pay them any mind; he was still trying to keep himself calm. Hontus shrugged and flapped his wings.

"You two go on ahead." Hontus said. "There are a few more... questions I have for the Elder."

"Very well." Voden nodded.

"I'll talk to you later, Hontus." Seraph planted a kiss on Hontus's forehead and made to leave. Voden soon followed after her and shut the door.

Once they were gone, Jules opened his eyes and took a sigh of relief. He then glanced at Hontus, who nodded back. Both of them looked towards Matthew, who's expression turned serious again.

"My Elder," Jules spoke carefully, "What can you tell us about... Culmubrae?"

~~...~~

Seraph and Voden followed the directions provided by the staff. Neptus's office was on the top floor, along with the observatory. Voden seemed uneasy for the entire trip.

"I hardly recognize any of this." The scholar said with a frown. "I understand that things change with time, but it's like a whole different building."

"I don't know what to say, Voden." Seraph looked at him with concern.

The pair approached a doorway leading into Neptus's office. Seraph took a large brass knocker in her jaw and swung it back and forth. A few seconds later, a grouchy voice spoke to them from a hidden slot in the wall.

"Civilian visits aren't permitted at this time." It said. "Please return tomorrow."

"Uncle, it's Seraph!" The dragoness exclaimed. They heard a loud gasp.

"Seraph?" The voice suddenly went silent. After a brief moment, several loud locking mechanisms relaxed. The door swung open and an old water dragon stepped out, his grey eyes fixated on Seraph's face.

"Uncle Neptus!" Seraph smiled.

Neptus was a short, stout dragon for one of his age. Unlike most dragons, he was completely bald, though a short black beard grew on his chin. Three short, grey horns pointed down from the back of his head. His spotty blue hide was hidden beneath a beige cloak. Various rings of silver completed his outfit.

"By the ancestors, it IS you!" Neptus declared, a smile stretched over his wrinkled face. Seraph approached Neptus and happily hugged him with a wing.

"I'm happy to see you, Uncle." She said.

"It's been far too long, dear." He replied, hugging back.

Seraph let go of Neptus and turned towards Voden. "Uncle, this is my friend Voden, another Guardian of Glenhaven."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Voden said. He held out a forepaw to salute to the old drake.

"Likewise." Neptus nodded. "Where is Hontus? Is he with your children back home?"

"No..." Seraph's face darkened. "He's downstairs with Jules, speaking with Elder Matthew."

"Is something wrong?" Neptus frowned in confusion.

"Uncle, I'm happy to see you. Really. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"What do you mean, dear?" The old drake asked.

"If you let me step inside, I can explain." Seraph said, her talons wracking nervously on the floor.

"Very well." Neptus nodded. He backed up and turned around. Seraph and Voden followed behind him into the observatory.

~~...~~

The floor was covered with an intricate, mural-like carpet. A large desk sat at the rear of the office, behind which was a large cushion. Two giant window panes covered the entire back wall. Various bookshelves decorated the walls, while a barrel full of scrolls and charts sat in the back corner.

Neptus sat down on his large cushion, while Seraph and Voden sat in smaller ones before him. The two spent about half an hour explaining their situation. Neptus's face changed between worry and grim throughout the conversation.

"Oh, that is despicable." He said through gritted teeth. "How could such young children run away from home when dark dragons are lurking about again?"

"Do you happen to know if anyone has seen a group of children travelling on their own through the countryside?" Voden asked.

"Sadly, no." Neptus shook his head." But even if I did, my work here would keep me too distracted to notice. I'm sorry."

"Are you still working on your map of the stars?" Seraph asked.

"No, no." Neptus shook his head again. "I finished that ages ago. It's the bizarre activity of the twin moons I'm looking into."

"The moons?" Voden tilted his head curiously. "Sure, they've been moving a bit differently lately, but is that really a problem?"

"I fear it may be so." Neptus said. He rose up from his desk and walked around it. "Come, perhaps you'd like to take a look."

Voden and Seraph followed Neptus out into the hallway. After a short walk, the trio came to a doorway on a great, stone ring in the center of the tower. Neptus produced a large, silver key from his pocket and opened the door.

"Be very careful when you walk through here." He said with a shake of his forepaw. "Watch your steps."

The doorway led immediately onto a narrow wooden bridge, barely wide enough for a single dragon. The bridge was inside a massive sphere; the inside of the observatory. The side leading to the door wasn't connected at all; rather, its edges were shaved to allow a narrow space between the bridge and the wall of the sphere. Short guardrails were all that prevented them from falling over the sides.

"Welcome to my greatest achievement; the Eye to the Heavens!" Neptus declared with pride.

"Amazing." Voden smiled. Seraph looked around with reservations, but said nothing.

The trio walked across the bridge one-by-one to reach the platform in the center of the sphere. Three other bridges were built on other sides of the platform, forming the four cardinal directions. On the platform itself, a few dragons were preparing the telescope for use. A table with a chart of the dragon realms sat nearby, next to a console. On the other side of the console sat a calendar of the twelve months of the year.

"So, what were you saying about the lunar activity?" Voden asked.

"Step over here." Neptus motioned to the table. Voden and Seraph did as he asked while the old drake cleared his throat. "Tell me, what do you know of the twin moons?"

""The elder of the two is called Artemis, and is said to follow after the sun's path from east to west." Seraph said. "The younger is Diana, which goes in the opposite direction around the world."

"A basic answer, I suppose, but correct." Neptus nodded.

"Sir, I teach this to children back in Glenhaven." Voden stamped his forepaw. "I don't see how basic knowledge is necessary at the moment."

"Oh, but it is." Neptus said, reaching for a map. "Here, look over this map."

Seraph's eyes scanned over the image of the dragon realms and the moons. She frowned in confusion. "What about it?"

"Diana is significantly closer to our world that Artemis, with enough room for the pair to pass right by each other. As a result, Diana's orbit is faster by a factor of days. This usually doesn't result in anything strange happening, but..."

Neptus took a breath. "Something frightening has been happening. Over the last few weeks, Diana's orbit has slowed down while Artemis has picked up the pace. In only a matter of a couple of weeks, Artemis and Diana will appear to be perfectly even with each other in the sky."

"Is this a race occurrence?" Seraph asked.

"Very rare." Neptus nodded. "In fact, the only other time this has happened in our recent history was one hundred and fifty-three years ago."

"But, that was during Lord Spyro's youth." Seraph said.

Voden gasped. He quickly skimmed over both the map and calendar. He then looked directly into the eyes of Neptus.

"Sir, are you suggesting that the last time this orbit shift happened was during... the Night of Eternal Darkness?" Voden was becoming visibly shaken.

"I can't say for sure..." Neptus shook his head. "But I pray that it isn't."

"Wait a minute." Seraph said. She turned towards Voden. "What's this about a Night of Eternal Darkness?"

"Well..." Voden turned towards her and sat back on his haunches. "Since the time of the ancient dragons, it's been said that the moons have powerful effects on the tides, as well as weather in general. And one of the rarest and most catastrophic changes the moons had on the dragon realms was known as the Night of Eternal Darkness.

"It was a great lunar eclipse, which caused an endless darkness to fall upon the dragon realms. It's been said that those with evil hearts are tempted to gather together under the endless night in the most wicked place, wherever that might be in that age."

"There have been only six known Nights of Eternal Darkness, one for each known age of dragons." Neptus said, drawing Seraph's attention. "And during each night, corrupted spirits escape from their eternal rest and roam about the most wicked place in the realms."

"And the last one was one hundred and fifty years ago?" Seraph asked.

"Yes, but as far as historians can tell, there's never been a set time interval between Nights." Voden said. "And the place where corrupted spirits roam isn't set in stone either. In one age, it was in the Ancient Grove of the mushroom forest. In another age, it was the Fortress of Dante to the far south. And during the very last one, it was in the Mountain of Malef-"

Neptus forcibly cleared his throat. Voden gasped and turned towards him in surprise.

"You mean the Well of Souls, yes?" Neptus asked. "The PROPER name."

"Uh... quite." Voden stepped back, giving Neptus a curious eye.

Seraph didn't catch Voden being cut off, because she had just come to a realization. The last Night of Eternal Darkness happened at the Well of Souls... and her children were travelling TOWARDS the Well of Souls...

"Uncle..." Seraph asked, a shiver creeping over her spine.

"Yes, dear?" Neptus asked.

"Are you sure there will be another Night of Eternal Darkness soon?" Seraph became visibly shaken.

"As much as I don't want it to happen..." Neptus shuddered. "All signs so far point to yes. It would be for the best if nobody goes near the Well of Souls..."

"My children are going to the well of souls!" Seraph exclaimed.

Neptus gasped. "THAT'S where they're headed?!"

"We need to stop them!" Seraph shouted in horror. "We have to get them away from that place before anything happens to them!"

"Seraph, calm down!" Voden exclaimed. He ran up and looked her in the eyes. "Yelling about it here won't do them any good!"

"But-!"

"Seraph, all we can do is go AFTER them." Voden insisted. "We just have to beat the younglings to the Mountain of Malef-"

"Well of Souls!" Neptus stamped his foot.

Voden looked back at the old drake incredulously. "What does it matter which name it's called? What matters is getting there to save the children!"

"Well you and your allies aren't going anywhere in such a thick storm." Neptus said. " That last thing that you need is to get sick, Seraph."

"I... Suppose you're right..." Seraph took a deep, long breath. "Please forgive my outburst, Uncle. I just get so worried about those children..."

"I understand." Neptus walked around the table and placed a forepaw on Seraph's. "Those children are just as much my family as yours. It's terrifying to think they're running about with dark dragons hiding amongst the populace."

"What do you think they might be up to?" Voden asked.

"Oh, I shudder to think about it." Neptus shook his head. "I can still remember how the army of Fear dragons descended on this tower, intent on knocking it down. It was a hard victory for all of us in the light."

Voden grimaced. He had never seen any active combat; he was a conscientious objector back in Ignys. It didn't make him any friends when he tried to find work. To king Horus, you were either a soldier, a blacksmith, or a waste of space. It was part of the reason why he moved to Glenhaven. On top of that, he didn't want to imagine an army of any dragons, dark or light.

Neptus rolled up the map.

"Perhaps it's not wise to dwell on this matter." Neptus said as he rolled up the map. "After all, I've finally gotten to meet my favorite niece again. That's something much mroe worthwhile for the mind."

"We can't stay long." Seraph said with a frown. "We have to leave to find my children."

"Oh, of course, of course..." Neptus nodded. "If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"I will, Uncle."

"I just have one question left, sir." Voden said. He cleared his throat, and then glared at Neptus. "Why in the world was the lighthouse destroyed?!"

~~...~~

The old grey dragon sighed as he looked all around. His tent was barely strong enough to withstand the harsh winds and pouring rain. His tail was curled up around his legs and he held his wings over his head.

 _You wouldn't have to deal with all of this if you would just teleport to Warfang_ , His Ancestor said.

"You're not helping." The hermit frowned.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

You may have noticed that I uploaded this on Monday instead of Sunday. No, I didn't get delayed by unforeseen circumstances. No, I didn't forget to update on time. This was an INTENTIONAL choice on my part. Why? Because today is October 10th, 2016. It's the tenth anniversary of The Legend Trilogy. That's right! The Legend of Spyro: A new beginning came out ten years ago TODAY! Holy balls, do I feel old!

But whatever, I love Spyro, and I wanted to take the time to celebrate some kind of milestone. So go out there and play some Legend of Spyro games, for our purple buddy's sake! And don't worry, it'll be back to basics on the next upcoming Sunday. See you then!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	18. Act 2, Chapter 4

It was very late at night.

Rune and his friends were spending the night in one of the spare rooms in the temple, courtesy of Guardian Scelus. Despite the Guardian claiming that it was a "small" bedroom, it was larger than Rune's back home. Two bunk-beds were lined up against the left and right back corners. Between them was a large window, beneath which was a wide wooden desk. A fat cushion sat against the right wall, beside a bookshelf.

All five of the younglings had taken off their armor and left the gear in a pile between the two bunk-beds. Rune sat on the upper left bed, stretching out his wings. Blankridge was on the bed below him, muttering to himself about something Rune couldn't decipher. Nellie sat beside the bed across from Rune, drawing more in her easel. Roxanne and Emerald were whispering about something at the desk. They wouldn't let anyone see what they were talking about for some reason. Rune had an inkling that they were talking about whatever they found at the library.

It didn't really matter much to Rune anyway. He just turned his eyes towards the ceiling, thinking about the day's events.

 _The things this temple teaches is so different from what I'm used to,_ Rune frowned. _Why would they say such awful things about Cynder? Wasn't she a hero, just like Spyro_? He shifted around, trying to get comfortable. _There's something wrong about the atmosphere in this place. We shouldn't stay for any longer than we have to._

"Hey, guys?" Roxanne asked, turning around. "Can we get your attention?"

Rune looked towards them curiously. Blankridge and Nellie stuck their heads out from their bunks. Rune dangled his forepaws over his railing, but otherwise didn't budge.

"Hey, what's up?" Blankridge grinned.

"Roxanne and I have come to a partial agreement." Emerald said, cleaning her spectacles with a rag before putting them on. "It's imperative that we share the info we've found with you guys, but we have to do it somewhere that isn't here."

"Not here?" Nellie tilted her head curiously. "Why not?"

"There's something very fishy about what's going on in this village." Roxanne said. "For some reason, all information about D.D.M. has been completely destroyed."

"D.D.M.?" Rune repeated curiously.

Emerald brought her voice to a very low whisper. "Dark dragon magic."

"Oh..." Rune's features drooped. He saw Roxanne frowning at him before turning to the other again.

"The problem is that we can't decide on when to share the information." Roxanne said. "I think we should pack up shop and get out of this place immediately. Once we've gotten far from the village, THEN we can talk about what's in the scroll."

"I beg to differ." Emerald replied. "Nobody suspects us... much. We can talk about what's in the scroll right now. Then we can spend the night here, eat a non-fish breakfast, and THEN be on our way to Warfang."

"Maybe we could do a vote." Nellie smiled, sitting up from her bunk.

"That's what I was thinking." Roxanne smiled. "There's something very wrong going on in this village. Nothing Guardian Scelus said matches up to Sir Voden's stories at all. We need to get out of here while we still can, before something bad happens."

Rune grimaced, but he knew Roxanne was right. If he's a black dragon, the last thing he wanted was to be found out in a village that hates dark magic.

"But we've still got to keep up appearances." Emerald said. "We've got a story that we're all orphans heading to Warfang. We'll look suspicious if we just take off overnight. It's better if we wait until morning, thank Guardian Scelus for giving us help, and calmly leave. Reading the scroll here is a bonus of sorts, as we'll know things about the Dark Fiends sooner rather than later."

Roxanne gave Emerald a funny look before turning towards Rune and the others. "What do you guys think?"

"Well..." Nellie stretched out her back. "Emerald makes some very good points. Plus, I don't think any of us are energetic enough to pull off sneaking out of the village right now. I vote that we stay and read that scroll."

"Are you kidding?" Blankridge hopped out of his bunk with a hearty flap of his wings." I've got enough energy to fly to the moon!"

Roxanne and Nellie shushed Blankridge, who immediately clasped his paws over his mouth. Rune couldn't help but snicker. The orange drake scratched his head with wing-thumb and grimaced.

"Sorry..." He whispered, his face flushing. "Well, my point still stands. I'm more than ready to hightail it out of here. We've got to get moving to reach the Well of Souls anyway, right? Why waste any time sticking around one place for too long? I vote for leaving.

"Well, I guess that means Rune is the deciding vote." Emerald smiled. All of the other younglings turned their eyes to Rune, who grimaced again. Nothing was worse than being put on the spot by his friends.

"Well, Rune?" Roxanne smiled. "Are you with Blank and I?"

"Or you could make an informed decision." Emerald said, sitting back on her haunches.

Rune looked back and forth between Roxanne and Emerald. They both had their eyes on him, pleading for a vote. Both of them had made excellent points. Really, Rune could almost go either way. But the big deciding factor was that Rune didn't want to stick around the village any longer than he had to. Guardian Scelus suspected something of Rune, and the youngling never wanted to be near that dragon ever again...

"I side with Roxanne." Rune nodded.

Emerald's muzzle fell open. Roxanne gasped happily, her tail swinging. She mouthed "thank you" before turning to pick up her belongings. Rune started taking a breath of relief...

"Are. You. SERIOUS?" Emerald snapped.

Rune jumped back in surprise. Emerald was glaring dagger at him. "W-What's the problem?"

"The PROBLEM is that you just blindly agreed with Roxanne." Emerald pointed an accusing talon at Rune.

"What?" Rune asked, taken aback. "No I didn't!"

"Yes you DID." Emerald stamped her foot.

Rune glanced about the room. Roxanne's eyes were wide with surprise. Blankridge and Nellie looked between the two, unsure of what to say. Rune turned back to Emerald, who stepped closer.

"Emerald, you're taking this the wrong way." Rune said. "Roxanne is right when she thinks that this village is unsettling. I think we need to get out of here as soon as we can."

"Oh. Really." Emerald stuck her muzzle in the air. "And it has NOTHING AT ALL to do with how you're sweet on her."

Rune's face flushed. Roxanne's smile widened, but Emerald's sneer worsened.

"Oh, come off it, Rune. We all know you two have something going on when you think we're not looking." Emerald sat back on her haunches and looked away from him with her eyes shut. "I can't believe you would pick whatever option Roxanne wants BECAUSE of Roxanne."

Rune started to say something, but then he stopped to think. He often DID enjoy spending time with Roxanne and making her happy. As he stopped to think about it, he still didn't understand anything about the Dark Fiends. Maybe reading from the scroll while they had time would be for the best. But what should he say?

"Well..." Rune stammered.

Emerald harrumphed. "It's high time you used PROPER JUDGMENT rather than submitting to whatever that girl wants."

"Excuse me?" Roxanne snapped. She stepped towards Emerald with a glare. "And just what do you mean by 'that girl'?"

Emerald turned around and glared at her. "I was friends with Blankridge and Nellie for years. Then when Rune came into the picture, **you** forcibly inserted yourself into our circle."

"I did NOT." Roxanne stomped her foot. "I was friends with Blank and Nellie back then, too! Right, guys?"

When Roxanne looked towards Blankridge and Nellie, they exchanged uneasy glances and backed up. Neither of them made direct eye contact with the girls, or Rune.

"Guys...?" Roxanne repeated, gradually becoming upset. Emerald put on a victorious grin. Rune felt cross as he watched Emerald grill into Roxanne.

"Well, there you have it." The green dragoness snorted. "You've been the odd one out the whole time, Roxanne. A peasant girl like you shouldn't be with the friends of the children of Guardians. You're just along for the ride because you managed to wrap Rune around your talon-"

"SHUT UP!" Rune shouted. All four of his friends gasped in surprise. Roxanne backed up, while Emerald turned around uneasily.

"Stop saying those things about Roxanne!" Rune yelled at Emerald, who's eyes went wide. "Yes, I have feelings for her! And you may not be happy that she's with us, Emerald, but I am! This isn't YOUR quest to the Well of Souls; it's MINE! I'm happy to have all the help I can get! And I don't need YOU trying to make Roxanne feel like dirt just because she's trying to help me, or because she's not doing what YOU want!"

"B-But Rune..." Emerald stammered. "She's not-"

"I don't care what you THINK she is or isn't." Rune snapped. "You've done nothing but complain about her during this whole journey! You act like she thinks she knows what's best for me, while YOU do the exact same thing! So why don't you just stuff those insults and complaints down your throat, and just SHUT UP?!"

Emerald held her wings over her head to shield herself. Her eyes were wide, and she stammered out half-phrases in an attempt to think of something to say. Rune glared at her for a moment more, before looking around at the others. Nellie, Blankridge, and Roxanne were all stunned. As the silence continued, Rune became speechless as well. He'd never shouted at anyone so angrily before, let alone Emerald. Maybe he went a little over the line... But he wasn't sorry. Rune was genuinely sick of Emerald complaining about Roxanne all the time.

"Listen up, all of you." Rune said. "We are sneaking out while we still have a chance. Once we're far away from this village, then we'll read what's in that scroll. Got it."

Everyone else nodded yes, though Emerald was still mostly shocked.

"Good." Rune said. He turned around and started putting on his armor. "Let's get ready to go."

Everyone stayed in relative silence as the prepared to leave. Rune was the first to finish putting on his armor, and so he opened the window to let in the air. He figured they could just sneak out that way and fly off to Warfang. Rune took a moment to take in the sights of the night sky. The twin moons hung ominously in the heavens, their glowing shining down and giving him determination. This was HIS quest. He was off to find his brother and bring back his mother. He wouldn't let anything slow him down...

Rune flinched when he felt someone nuzzle his cheek. He looked back to see Roxanne standing beside him in her training armor. She smiled happily, but said nothing. Rune sighed and smiled back. Out of the corner of his eye, Rune saw Emerald standing behind the group, putting on her own armor in silence. She'd occasionally glare back at Rune and Roxanne. Rune rolled his eyes. He'd already gotten everything off his chest. He'd just let her stir in her anger until she lightened up.

Before long, everyone had finished preparing to leave. The younglings slung their satchels over their shoulders and approached the mirror. One by one, they fluttered out the window and came to a landing in the clearing just outside the temple. Rune was the last one to head out. He used his magic to the best of his ability to carefully shut the window from the outside. Rune then turned to look around at his friends. Blankridge and Roxanne seemed absolutely ecstatic to be going. Nellie had a look of mild concern. She looked this way and that like a sentry, eyes searching for someone spying on them. Emerald just glanced away from him. She was upset, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

"Alright, we're out." Rune spread his wings out. "Let's get going, guys."

"Are we really sure we're doing this?" Nellie asked. "There's still time to turn back."

"We're leaving, Nellie." Rune nodded. "I'm absolutely sure of this."

"Then let's get going, guys." Blankridge spread his wings and leaped into the air. "No time like the present."

"Right." Rune spread his own wings to follow him. Roxanne trotted up to be by his side when they took off. Rune faltered just long enough to smile at her before taking off.

"I don't see anybody." Nellie said, turning around. "I think we're clear."

"Then let's move out." Rune lifted off into the air. Roxanne and Nellie followed close behind. Blankridge was already flying circles above them, eager to move out. Emerald, naturally, was the last one in the air. She looked frustrated the entire time, flying at the back of the group. Rune noticed Roxanne giving Emerald a mocking glance before nudging Rune's side to move forwards. Rune sighed, but complied.

The five young dragons flew off towards the north... only for a bright white light to shine on them. Everyone shouted in surprise. Rune winced and looked down at the ground. All of the dragoness screamed as the sound of flapping filled the air.

"What's that light?!" Blankridge covered his eyes. It was all he could do to keep from crashing into the ground.

Rune felt something grab him and pull him down to the ground. He looked up to see a large dragon in armor forcing him to land. Several other guards had surrounded Rune's friends, forcing all of them to land. One of the guards had to keep Blankridge from crashing into the street.

 _Where did they come from?_ Rune looked around in surprise. _I thought Nellie didn't see anyone..._

As Rune and the others landed on the ground, his eyes followed the beam of light back to its source. A large lantern sat atop a roof outside of the temple. A circle was in the front, from which light escaped, creating a shining beam. How had none of them noticed that before?

"My, my, my..." A familiar voice said. "Look what we've found."

Rune turned to see Scelus approaching from the back of the temple, flanked by two more guards. The Guardian looked about with a bemused expression at the younglings as they sat back sheepishly on their haunches.

"What are you children doing out of bed at this hour?" Scelus asked.

"Uh..." Rune stammered. He looked around at his friends. They all seemed stumped as to what to say. Emerald in particular shot Rune a nasty glare, as she KNEW this would happen the whole time. Shivering, Rune turned to look back at the Guardian.

"We just wanted to get some fresh air, sir." Rune said.

"Fresh air?" Scelus tilted his head. "It looks more like you've all packed up to hit the road. Didn't I ask you kindly to spend the night in our temple? It's a very dangerous realm out there for children at this time of night."

"Uh..." Rune twiddled his talons, his eyes darting this way and that.

"Actually, I'm glad that I've stumbled upon you like this." Scelus smiled. Rune looked up at him in confusion, and the Guardian's smile widened. "You see, there's something I think we need to make clear."

"Wh-What do you mean, Sir?" Emerald asked worriedly.

"Let's see here..." Scelus looked down at the younglings, his eyes inspecting them. He pointed at each one in turn with a talon. "Orange scales with blue mane... Blue scales with light-blue mane... Green scales with light-green mane... and yellow scales with blue mane..." Scelus's stopped at Rune. "What's this? Something doesn't add up..."

Rune felt uneasy. He wanted to look at his friends again, but he had a feeling he shouldn't look away.

"What are you talking about, Sir Guardian?" Nellie asked.

"You see, I went and had a chat with those sailors to clarify some details. They told me what 'all four' of the _orphans_ looked like..." Scelus glared at Rune. "FOUR."

"Uh..." Rune stammered. He stepped back a bit, only to bump into a guard's foreleg. He shivered allover.

"It's odd, isn't it?" Scelus asked him. "If they all had such good memory, why would the sailors forget about _you_? Unless, of course, you stowed away for some odd reason..."

"I... Uh... I can explain." Rune said, wings shaking.

"Oh, I really hope you can." Scelus came to a stop just before Rune. "Because until we get to the bottom of this, I don't think any of you will be leaving any time soon."

"What?!" Roxanne exclaimed.

Scelus nodded towards his guards. All at once, they grabbed the younglings and started dragging them off towards the temple. Blankridge hissed and bit at them. Nellie shouting loudly to let go. Roxanne tried to break free of the guards' grip to no avail. Emerald tried her best to maintain her dignity, but she couldn't help but start crying.

"NO!" Rune shouted. He tried to run to help his friends, but Scelus pinned him to the ground.

"And just what do you think you're doing, Mr. Odd-One-Out?" Scelus demanded.

"Let my friends go!" Rune shouted.

"You think I would want to bring harm to children?" Scelus put on a frown. "You can rest assured that no harm will come to you... as long as you comply."

"What do you want from me?" Rune asked worriedly, his eyes still looking back at his panicking friends.

"Oh, I want to ask you a few questions." Scelus brought his head down to Rune with a scowl. "And let's hope for your sake that you tell me what I want to know."

"Alright, alright!" Rune exclaimed. "Just let them go!"

"That's not going to happen." Scelus sneered. "Not yet, at least. You children will be staying in the temple until further notice."

"But..."

"They can stay in the room you've already shared... unless you'd prefer for them to wait in the basement."

"N-no!" Rune shouted. "I'm sorry!"

"Good." Scelus said. He stood up tall, passing Rune over to one of the other guards. "Take this boy to the questioning room. The others can stay in their guest bedroom. But keep them under heavy surveillance."

"Yes, Guardian." The guard bowed his head. He grabbed Rune's foreleg and forcibly dragged him away.

"No!" Blankridge exclaimed, still trying to break free. "Let my brother go!"

"Rune!" Nellie and Roxanne shouted, their forelegs reaching desperately for him. Emerald looked away, still on the verge of crying.

Rune looked back at them in fear as he was dragged into the temple. What was going to happen to them now?

~~...~~

When Cyrus finally woke up, his head felt funny.

His ear frills were ringing. It almost felt like a hole was drilled into his head, and his thoughts were leaking out. But as Cyrus steadily regained the will to get out of bed, the hole sealed itself. He remembered bits of what happened before passing out. He thought of Wraith, and how the dragon took a nasty beating from that monster.

"Wraith..." Cyrus muttered. As he sat up, the ringing in his head went away.

"Mom, he's getting up!" Tina exclaimed.

"Your Highness!" Lilith shouted happily.

"Huh...?" Cyrus curiously looked around. He was back in the hut in the city. Lilith and Tina were resting by his side, watching him. When Cyrus stood up, Tina ran over and held him in a tight hug with her wing.

"You gave us such a scare, you dummy." Tina exclaimed.

"Tina, that's too tight..." He winced.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Lilith asked. "Feeling any better than before?"

"I'm... doing okay..." Cyrus answered, Tina's crushing hug notwithstanding. "At least I think I am."

"Oh, what a relief..." Lilith sighed happily. "You gave Wraith and I such a scare."

"Wraith?" Cyrus looked around with worry. "Where is he? Is he alright?"

"Don't worry about Wraith." Tina smiled. "Those water dragons were able to patch him up pretty quickly."

"I told him to get some rest after getting back here," Lilith said, "But as soon as he was healed, he insisted on heading out to gather information about what happened." The dragoness rolled her eyes. "That dragon is such a workaholic."

"What time is it?" Cyrus asked. "How long was I out?"

"It's been several hours." Tina said, finally letting go of him. "After you rammed into that giant beast, you made it... EXPLODE."

"Huh?" Cyrus blinked in surprise.

"Yeah. It looked like you destroyed it from the inside out with some kind of... black magic." Tina sat back on her haunches. "And I'm not talking about teleporting with Shadows. I mean literally BLACK energy. Wraith couldn't come up with an explanation, and you know how he gets when he can't explain things."

"Oh... Yeah..." Cyrus sighed, tilting his head back in thought.

More and more, memories of the event became more coherent in his mind, right up until he passed out. Cyrus had been able to use the poison, wind, shadow, and fear elements one at a time. He'd never used... whatever that energy was before. Normally, Cyrus would be compelled to gloat about how amazing his ability was. But this... this was different somehow. It scared him.

"Sorry..." Cyrus said, his voice low. He wrapped his tail around his legs. "Whatever that was, it kind of just _happened_. Once moment I was upset that Wraith got hurt, the next I was flying at the monster in a rage."

Lilith and Tina frowned. The adult dragoness stepped forwards and draped a wing over Cyrus.

"Well, at least everything's fine for now." She said. "You're back safe, and that's all that matters."

"But what are we going to do now?" Cyrus asked. "What if the fiends attack Avalar again?'

"Don't worry, my prince; we came up with a plan of action while you were out." Lilith smiled. "Once Wraith gets back, we're all going to be taking a carriage to Warfang."

"Okay..." Cyrus sighed.

Cyrus sat quietly for a few minutes. Tina started up a conversation with Lilith about how Wraith was such a hero. Cyrus frowned. Wraith was actually willing to put his life on the line for the prince despite his own personal risk. Not only that, but Wraith endangered his entire reputation when he decided to help Cyrus on his quest. He supposed that Lilith did a similar thing, but it was Wraith took control of the operation. That tutor of his did so much for Cyrus.

 _I wish there was a way I could repay him. But I don't know what to do..._

Cyrus glanced briefly out the small window in the hut. He could see the forest beyond the limits of Avalar. The trees seemed to call out to him, begging for the prince to explore their many mysteries. But Cyrus wasn't exactly in the best of moods for exploring... except, what was that large structure in the forest? It looked like some kind of stone shrine built atop a small mountain. How interesting...

"Lilith, would it be alright if I went to explore around the forest for a while?" Cyrus asked.

"What?!" Lilith's eyes went wide. "After everything that's happened, you want to go back into the forest by yourself already?!"

"I know that sounds bad," Cyrus stood up tall, "But I really need to go somewhere private so I can think... and the place I want to go is that weird shrine out there."

"I really don't think that's wise right now, my prince." Lilith shook her head.

"Can't I have at least an hour?" Cyrus asked. "I'll head straight to that shrine, think there, and then come back. An hour, that's all I ask."

"Hmm..." Lilith rubbed her chin. She looked out the window at the shrine for a moment. Eventually, she sighed and looked back at the prince.

"One hour." She said. "And make sure you stick to below the treetops."

A grin spread across Cyrus's face. he hugged Lilith's foreleg. "Thank you."

"Please be safe, Cy." Tina said.

"I will!" Cyrus said as he ran out the door...

~~...~~

Cyrus wandered carefully through the forest. He could see the lights of Avalar just beyond the forest. The trees weren't as thick around as they were in the Tall Plains, so he had to make himself scarce. Still, Cyrus found the trek quite pleasant. And with his objective always in plain sight, it didn't feel like it would take long. He might even have time to hunt some local animals. The meat was quite exotic compared to the constant fruits and vegetables Wraith insisted on rationing out on the journey.

Cyrus crept along the ground until he spotted a few squirrels running about on tree branches. Deciding on the one he liked, Cyrus used a gust of wind to knock a squirrel off a branch. It feel down from the tree and hit the ground hard. Cyrus immediately pounced on it and started eating.

The prince didn't care if he was being barbaric. He enjoyed these animals, and he loved using magic to catch them. It took most of the hard work away. While he was eating the squirrel, Cyrus sat back to think about current events.

 _Why would Dad send those monsters to attack Avalar? It hasn't been controlled by dragons since the Fear dragons fled from there during the war. the only dragons that lived there now were just passing through..._ Cyrus took a breath. _And why wouldn't the monsters listen to Wraith? The Deep Shadows all serve Dad, and the fiends serve them in turn. Why would they attack us? Is it because they didn't know we'd be there? And why would...?_

While Cyrus was thinking to himself, he heard a hissing noise coming from the trees. He got on his guard and looked around, magic building in his maw. But he didn't see anything hiding there. The prince took a deep breath.

"Maybe I'm just imagining things. I think I'm still on edge..." The prince chuckled to himself. "Edge. I made a pun..."

While Cyrus was sitting down, a very feint voice called out.

 _Behind you!_

"Huh?" Cyrus turned around in surprise. He gasped as one of the black monsters from before leaped at him from a hiding spot. Its claws were extended towards his throat. Cyrus quickly shadow-jumped to the side before the monster could impale him. Cyrus tuck-and-rolled onto his feet and looked around. Several more of the monsters emerged from behind the trees, their red eyes filled with fury.

"Woah!" Cyrus exclaimed. He charged poison into his talons. "You guys don't give up, do you?"

 _This is no time for wisecracking_ , the voice said.

"Hey, who's there?" Cyrus asked.

 _Fight, child, FIGHT!_

Cyrus had no time to argue, as the monsters all leaped at him. Cyrus slashed at the first one that approached with his poison talons, turning it sickly. A few of the monsters lunged at him through the air. Cyrus quickly took a breath and unleashed a gust of wind around himself in a spiral, blowing all of the creatures out of the air.

While he wasn't looking, another creature attacked from behind, biting down on Cyrus's tail. He flinched as pain shot through him. He snarled as he swung his tail from side to side in an attempt to shake it off. When that didn't work, he unleashed a Fear-fueled screech. The red shockwaves tore through the creature, forcing it to fall back. A large bite-mark was left on Cyrus's tail. But he had no time to worry about that, as a few more of the monsters flanked him. Their screeches and hissed filled the air. Cyrus spat poison in their faces, burning their eyes. Though they snarled in pain and fell back, several more took their place.

"I can't keep fighting them." Cyrus exclaimed. "If I destroy them, they'll only form the bigger one again! I'm outta here!"

Cyrus immediately leaped into the air, using wind bursts to give himself a boost. But that didn't stop the monsters from chasing after him. He surrounded himself with shadow to appear much higher in the air, almost above the treetops. But still, the creatures kept coming after him.

"Why are they so damn persistent!" He shouted.

Little one, follow my voice. They spoke again. _I can help you._

Cyrus looked all around with worry. "Alright, who are you, and why can't I see you?"

 _I'm a friend. If you want to meet in person, come find me on the shrine. But hurry!_

"What? You're at the shrine?" Cyrus asked. "Then why can I hear you inside my head?"

 _It's hard to explain. Just hurry, Child!_

"Gee, thanks." Cyrus snorted. He dived down towards the trees, flying between them. He shuddered as he heard the black monsters following close behind. "Maybe I'll head back to Avalar instead. I could get some help from the-"

 _No!_ The voice sounded a little closer. _Don't lead back to the city, child!_

"Why not? I can't handle these things by myself!"

 _Just come to the shrine.. I'll dispatch them for you._

"Fine..." Cyrus said with a roll of his eyes.

Cyrus turned away from Avalar and flew down along the forest floor. He swerved around many trees as he made his way up the small mountain. He heard the creatures hissing behind him the whole way up.

At the top of the mountain, Cyrus came to a landing at the foot of the shrine. The area of the top of the mountain was carved completely flat above the trees. The shrine itself was a small, square building surrounded by four dragon-shaped statues. The statues held torches of various colors: Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. A large ring surrounded the shrine, which glowed as Cyrus's paws landed on it.

"Wow..." Cyrus looked around. But he only had a brief moment to take in the sights as the monsters surrounded the area. Cyrus looked all around at the red eyes that poked through the darkness of the forest. He was boxed in on all sides.

"Hey, voice...?" Cyrus asked worriedly. "If you were planning on getting rid of these guys, now would be a good time..."

Cyrus received an answer in the most unexpected of ways; a bolt of lightning came down and struck one of the monsters. It fell back and melted into nothingness instantly. Cyrus gasped and leaped back while the creatures screeched in anger. Before another could charge forwards, a large earth bomb knocked it off its feet. Another hissed at Cyrus and charged, only for its feet to become frozen to the ground. It twitched wildly, but couldn't escape as its whole body was turned to ice. And then a boulder came down and smashed it to pieces. The same thing happened to the monsters around that one. The creatures that remained were suddenly engulfed in bright flames. Shadows danced upon the shrine as the area was filled with light. But those flames soon died away, and the black monsters went with them. Soon, there were no signs that the creatures were there at all.

Cyrus couldn't believe his eyes. His jaw hung open in amazement. Never had he seen such a display of power, save for that of his father. But the prince was very sure that this wasn't his father's doing.

"Whoever you are, you must be a very powerful dragon." He said. Cyrus heard the voice chuckle.

 _"You could say that, yes."_

Cyrus jumped in alarm. The voice wasn't in his head; it came from right behind him. There was a strange feeling to the voice. It was like they weren't completely part of the physical world. Cyrus could feel some kind of... warmth on his back. When he turned around, he couldn't believe what he saw.

A dragon stood in the center of the shrine, an aura of bright purple light surrounding him. The figure didn't seem physical; Cyrus could see _right through it_. What didn't help matters was that the dragon seemed to lack any defining features. The only thing Cyrus could make out was that the dragon was a male, and had purple eyes. A chill crept up Cyrus's spine.

"Wh... Who are you?" Cyrus asked.

 _"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, child."_ The stranger said. His mouth never moved as he spoke, making Cyrus uneasy. The stranger seemed to notice this, because he frowned for a moment. _"You don't have to fear me, little prince. I have information about your brother."_

"Huh?" Cyrus's eyes widened. He looked himself over; he was still perfectly disguised as a fire dragon. He then looked back at the figure in fear. "How did you... but I'm... When did... What?"

 _"I know everything there is to know about you, Prince Cyrus. But don't fear; I'll keep your secret."_ The stranger lowered his head down to Cyrus, seemingly smiling under the shadows. _"Now, the most important thing to tell you is that your brother, Rune, is on the northern continent."_

"My brother... Is here?" Cyrus gasped. A waterfall of emotions passed through his body so fast that he couldn't decide how to feel.

 _"In a very broad sense of the term, yes."_ The stranger said. _"He and his companions are making their way to Warfang... but it's not safe to go there."_

"I... I know." Cyrus frowned. "Father is planning on attacking Warfang any day now. It's part of his plan to..." The prince's face perked up. "But, wait! If I find Rune, I can bring him with me to the Well of Souls! Then we can-!"

 _"No, Cyrus!"_ The stranger shouted. _"It's too dangerous to go to Warfang OR the Well of Souls. What you should do instead is to group up with Rune's party, and all of you should retreat to the south."_

"What?" Cyrus exclaimed. "I can't give up on my quest! I have to bring Mother back before the Night of Eternal Darkness!"

 _"You're wrong."_ The figure shook his head. _"Your mother is..."_

"Shut up!" Cyrus shouted. "I don't care who you are! Mother is the only dragon that Dad will listen to!"

 _"Cyrus, you don't understand."_ The figure took a step forwards. _"She's-"_

"Get away from me!" Cyrus turned and ran from the shrine. The figure chased after him at first, but after passing the glowing ring, its voice became weaker.

 _"Cyrus...!"_ He shouted. With every step the figure took, it's voice became harder to hear. _Your Quest... dangerous..._

"I'm not listening to you!" Cyrus exclaimed. He looked back in time to see the spirit on the very edge of the shrine. It became harder to see, almost turning invisible.

 _Elenar..._ The voice was so low that Cyrus could barely hear anything. _Imprisoned..._

Cyrus fled away as fast as he could down the mountain. And the voice was gone.

~~...~~

Rune squinted as his adjusted to the light suddenly turning on. Scelus had turned on the lantern that hung above Rune's head. He sat fearfully in his seat at a table as the Guardian sat across from him. A pair of guards were standing outside, blocking the only door leading outside. Rune turned to look up at the scowling face of Scelus.

"Alright, boy, I'm done playing games with you." He sneered. "I'm going to ask you some very IMPORTANT questions, and you'd better give me the truth." He leaned across the table and glared right into Rune's eyes. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Y... Yes, sir." Rune stammered. He felt like his scales could slide right off, he was shaking so much.

"Good." Scelus sat back in his chair. "First and foremost, what's your REAL name?"

"It's Rune." He said quickly.

"I see..." Scelus wracked his talons against the table. "And where do you come from?"

"Glenhaven. I've lived there for as long as I can remember." Rune looked Scelus straight in the eyes.

"I see. Tell me, boy, did that mysterious grandfather of yours live with you in Glenhaven."

"I... I don't think so." Rune said, fidgeting with his talons. "I have a few memories of him... from when I was very young."

"Does that include his infamous stories?" Scelus raised an eye ridge.

"I... I guess so?" Rune said. "Though I was also taught about Cynder when I was learning in the Glenhaven Palace."

"What?" Scelus's voice raised. Rune faltered for a bit, but took a breath and continued talking.

"You see, my history teacher, Guardian Voden, taught me and the other younglings in my class about how Lady Cynder was a hero, fighting with-"

"LIES!" Scelus slammed his forepaw on the table, nearly making Rune jump. The Guardian leaned his head in again. "Are you telling me that a GUARDIAN stoop so low as to defend the Terror of the Skies?!"

Something stirred within Rune. He started to glare back at Scelus.

"I'm telling the truth! Everyone in Glenhaven Palace knew about Lady Cynder! Especially Elder Telus!"

Scelus responded by slapping Rune across the face with his tail. Rune fell from his seat with a yelp, clutching his bruised face. Scelus stood above Rune, his nostrils flailing.

"How dare you?" Scelus asked with a scowl. "How dare you come into this temple and spread such FILTH about the worst dark dragoness who ever lived? CYNDER." The Guardian grabbed Rune by the neck and forced the youngling to look directly into his furious eyes. "Cynder, the terror of the skies. Cynder, the dragoness who stole the magical power from the Guardians of Spyro's time. Cynder, the one who brought the dragon race to near **extinction**."

"But..." Rune stammered.

"NO." Scelus tightened his grip on Rune's neck. The youngling choked and gagged while the Guardian continued. "You think you can just say 'but Cynder was redeemed'. You think that's a good excuse to just forget everything she's done? No amount of good deeds will ever wash the blood from her talons, boy. Cynder, and all dark dragons, are a vermin forever beyond salvation."

"Wh..." Rune coughed. Scelus wouldn't even let him speak.

"Poison rots the flesh. Shadow blinds the eyes. Fear corrupts the mind. And Wind steals the life-giving air from the lungs. A dragon with only one of these dark elements is a danger. And Cynder had ALL of them. They are all an infection. A sickness that has corrupted the dragon realms..." Scelus glared down into Rune's eyes. "And sickness must be **cleansed**."

Rune couldn't look away from the horrible, burning hatred in the Guardian's eyes. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. All he saw was a hateful emptiness.

"You had better tell me EXACTLY why you think Cynder deserves ANY praise, boy." Scelus demanded, letting go of Rune's grip. "Because if you don't convince me, you're in for some SERIOUS reeducation."

Rune scratched at his throat. He coughed and gagged, struggling to get air into his lungs. He looked up at the glowering Guardian.

"I..." Rune barely managed to stammer. "I... Uh..."

Before Rune could say another word, something slammed into the wall. A guard cried out in pain, followed by the other one. Rune gasped and looked to the door as sounds of a struggle rang out. And all at once, the struggling stopped, filling the air with a painful silence.

"What's going on out there?!" Scelus shouted, standing up tall.

"Nothing, sir." A gruff-sounding guard said. "Just a bit of a little mishap. Nothing to worry about."

Scelus froze for a moment. He glared at the door, his wings shaking. Rune backed up into a corner, still rubbing his throat. What was going on?

"Is that you, Winston?" Seclus asked. As he approached the door, he took a deep breath of air.

"Yes, sir." The voice replied. "Who else would it be?"

"Really?" Scelus approached the door. As he reached to push it open, green magic formed around his other forepaw. "Well, Winston, surely you'd remember that I told you to take the week off to celebrate your wife's new clutch of eggs."

"Surely you're mistaken, sir." The voice said. A shadow passed over the glass on the door on the outside.

"Am I...?" Scelus turned the knob from the opposite side of the door. As he pulled it open, he tossed a glowing orb of green energy outside and slammed the door shut. But before he could close it completely, a gust of wind blew it open. The lights went out just in time for the earth bomb to erupt.

Rune was sent flying off his forepaws and into the side wall. His head struck the wall hard, sending pain right through his mind. He fell to the floor, clutching his head and wincing. He heard Scelus growling and thrashing about as he fought some unseen attacker. The table was knocked on its side.

Rune didn't want to look up. He was too afraid to see what was happening. But judging by how Scelus grew more and more frantic with each passing second, he didn't want to look. The pain on his head was too great to concentrate on anything else anyhow.

Eventually, the struggle died down. Scelus fell over onto the ground, whether dead or unconscious Rune couldn't tell. When he opened his eyes, he gasped with fright. A single dragoness stood standing over Scelus's body, clothed in dark robes.

Rune carefully picked himself up off the floor, holding onto his satchel tightly. He eyes never left the dragoness as she looked through Scelus's pockets for something. Something about the dragoness struck Rune as familiar...

"E... Elza?" Rune asked worriedly. "Is that you?"

The dragoness turned her head to look at him. He could tell from her eyes that it wasn't Elza. But she wore the same kind of dark robes, though they were more worn.

"You've caused quite a lot of trouble, Your Highness." The dragoness said.

"Wh-What...?" Rune asked. He stepped back as the dragoness approached him. "Wh-Who are...?"

Before he could say another word, the dragoness struck him hard in the back of the neck, where it met his head. He fell over onto the floor again, his vision fading rapidly.

"Your father is most displeased..." She said, her voice dying away with each word.

And after that, everything went black.

~~...~~

"This is just great!" Emerald shouted, throwing her satchel against the wall. "It's simply PERFECT! I told you! I told you ALL that this would happen! But NO! Nobody ever listens to me!"

She and the others were all gathered together in the guest bedroom once again. Everyone else was concerned with Rune's well-being, but Emerald was quite furious. She didn't stop ranting since they were locked in the room. Nellie stood atop the desk, looking out the window with her tail wrapped around her legs. Blankridge and Roxanne were seated in the lower bunks. Roxanne was tearing at her bed sheets with worry. Guards were placed outside both the door and the window, trapping them inside.

"Emerald, just let it go already!" Blankridge snapped. "Don't you get that there are more important things at stake?! Rune's been taken away somewhere!"

"This wouldn't have happened if we had just stayed in here the whole night!" Emerald threw her wings out. "But now it's too late! Rune's been locked up by himself, and who knows what will happen when-!"

Their argument was cut off by the sound of guards shouting outside. People ran frantically down the hallway, and an alarm sounded all throughout the temple. Roxanne got up from bed, looking around.

"Hey, what's going on?" Blankridge asked as he ran up to the door. He carefully turned the knob and peeked through. He then brought his voice down. "Hey, the guard's are gone... Why do I smell smoke?"

"What? Why?" Emerald demanded. "This doesn't make any sense."

Nellie gasped. "Hey! Look out the window! It's Rune!"

"Huh?" Blankridge shut the door and ran to his sister. Roxanne and Emerald hurriedly climbed up the desk to see what she was talking about. A large dragoness in dark robes was dashing out of the temple. Rune lay strapped to her back, out cold and shrouded in shadows.

"That's the dragoness from the library!" Roxanne shouted.

"AFTER HER!" Blankridge shouted. He wasted no time throwing the window open so they could fly outside. The girls scrambled to follow the orange drake as he made a direct line for the fleeing dragoness.

As the younglings flew out of the temple, they noticed brightness and heat radiating behind them. They turned their heads and gasped in surprise; the temple was on fire. Most of the roof was engulfed in flames, and smoke billowed out of holes. Most of the dragons in the village were rushing to put out the flames, never noticing the dragoness as she fled the scene,

Blankridge flew as fast as he could after the dragoness, but she was still faster. At first it looked like she was going to run right out of the northern exit. But then she came to a stop, fishing for something in her robes.

"Give me back my brother!" Blankridge growled at her.

The dragoness briefly turned to look at him, a single eye visible. She seemed to not care what he said as she pulled a purple crystal out of her robes. Blankridge's eyes widened; it was just like the crystal he saw that day in Glenhaven.

"STOP!" Blankridge shouted.

But it was no use. The dragoness tossed the crystal ahead of her and ran into the black smoke that rose forth. A low hum filled Blankridge's ears as he tried to follow her through it... but he only ended up crashing into the grass.

"No..." Blankridge said lowly. He stood up and looked all around. "No no no..."

"Blank?" Nellie asked. She and the other dragonesses came to a landing around Blankridge. The orange drake hyperventilated as he looked all around in vain hope of catching sight of the dragoness.

"No no no no NO!" He screamed, his wings going wild. "RUNE!"

"Come on!" Emerald flapped her wings and took off. "We can't stay here; we've got to go!"

"But what about-?!" Roxanne began to ask.

"We'll worry about that LATER, when we're FAR AWAY from that bloody village!"

Roxanne looked at Nellie, who nuzzled Blankridge's face, trying to get him to calm down. She then looked back at the temple, the flames growing larger. And finally, Roxanne looked at the smoking ash that was once where the mysterious dragoness stood.

"Where do we go?" Roxanne asked.

"The same way we've BEEN going!" Blankridge shouted, his eyes tearing up. He lifted off into the air, flying to the north. "We're going to Warfang!"

Emerald immediately flew after Blankridge without a word. Roxanne and Nellie exchanged glances. With nowhere else to go, they took off after the others...

~~...~~

Wraith had several bandages wrapped around his legs, and a bandanna pulled his mane back tight. But other than that, he was completely fine. Wraith spoke with a wagon driver in front of a large carriage. A pair of cheetahs were loading several bundles of supplies into the back of the wagon. Lilith was tying the straps on a larger pack before passing it to the cheetahs. Tina sat beside Lilith, struggling to stay awake.

"How could you just let him take off?!" Wraith exclaimed.

"He told me that he just wanted some fresh air." Lilith said. "He promised to be back one hour after going on his walk to the shrine."

"I don't care if he went to down the block to tinkle!" Wraith exclaimed. "We can't just let him go wandering off on his own after everything that's happened!"

"Tinkle?" Tina struggled not to laugh. Wraith gave her a look of annoyance before focusing on Lilith again.

"Lilith, I would think you of all dragons would be against Cyrus wandering off ALONE after what happened when he was with Tina. There could be remnants of those monsters lurking about anywhere."

"I know, Wraith." Lilith sighed. "But I have faith that Cyrus is capable of defending himself. He did come out on top during the fight, and he was the one who defeated the giant."

"Yes, but we don't know HOW." Wraith stamped his foot. "It was a magical freak accident. A once in a lifetime stroke of luck. We don't know if such an event will happen again." Wraith ran his forepaw over his face. "Now we have to wait and hope that he comes back alright."

Just as he said that, Cyrus cried out.

"Lilith! Wraith!"

Wraith opened his eyes in surprise. He spun around in time to see the prince sprinting out of the forest and running up to the group. Tina's head perked up and she fluttered her wings.

"Hey, you alright?" Tina asked.

Cyrus came to a stop at Wraith's paws, panting heavily. Wraith bent down to look him over.

"What's gotten into you?" Wraith asked.

"You're... not... going..." The prince struggled to catch his breath. "to... believe this..."

"What are you talking about?" Lilith asked. She bent down to look the prince over. "You're covered from head to tail with grass."

Cyrus collapsed onto the ground. He spent a few more minutes struggling to calm himself down. With a sigh, Wraith looked around to make sure nobody was watching them. When the coast was clear, Wraith used his magic to lift Cyrus up into the air and inside the wagon. Lilith and Tina followed Wraith into the wagon to sit down around the prince.

"Alright, Cyrus..." Wraith whispered into the prince's ear frill. "Start explaining what happened."

"Well..." Cyrus took the deepest breath his could. The prince told the tale of everything that happened to him on his way to the shrine. Once his story came to an end, Wraith exchanged concerned glances with Lilith.

"So wait..." Tina muttered. "You met a glowing purple spirit?"

"Yes..." Cyrus sat back on his haunches. "He destroyed all of the Fiends with all kinds of magic."

"And you're absolutely certain you didn't imagine it?" Wraith asked.

"Why would I imagine it?" Cyrus demanded.

"Well, dragon spirits aren't known for lingering on after death. They either go to the Underworld, or become one with the physical world. I would think by now you'd understand all of these things."

"I swear, it happened for real." Cyrus stomped his paw in frustration. "The spirit told me that my brother's on the northern continent. He also warned me to stay away from Warfang or the Well of Souls..."

Wraith's expression changed to one of concern. He worriedly bit his lower lip.

"Well, I hate to say this..." The dragon sighed, "But I'm starting to believe you a little."

"You are?" Cyrus and Tina asked at the same time.

"Yeah." Wraith nodded. "You've put a lot of hard work and effort into this quest of yours. You've never had such resolve for anything else up until now. I highly doubt you'd joke about quitting the quest on your own."

"So you think that spirit was real?" Lilith asked.

"I can't say for sure; I wasn't there." Wraith shook his head. "But our prince is determined to revive Queen Elenar, and I swore to help him on his quest. Whoever that spirit was, he'll have to go bother somebody else. We're not turning back now."

Cyrus smiled. He hugged Wraith's foreleg, making the drake grunt in surprise.

"Thank you so much, Wraith..." Cyrus said.

"Uh, your welcome?" Wraith grimaced.

"I mean it; thank you for everything." Cyrus hugged tighter. Wraith leaned his head back, wincing in pain. Lilith chuckled at the sight, and Wraith glared at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Uh... You're welcome, my prince." Wraith said awkwardly as he patted Cyrus on the head. "Please let go of me. You're crushing my wounded leg."

"Oh, right. S-sorry." Cyrus let go of Wraith and backed up. Tina snickered at the prince, who rolled his eyes.

"Well, now that this is done with..." Wraith stood up and stepped out of the wagon. "We need to finish packing all of our supplies onto the wagon. Once that's done, we ride off to Warfang. Lilith, if you'd please lend some help..."

"Sure, Wraith." Lilith turned and patted Cyrus and Tina with her wings. "Why don't you two lay down? We're going to be busy for a while, and you need your rest."

"Alright, Mom." Tina nodded.

She turned to lay down atop a pile of straw. Cyrus didn't say anything; he could already feel his eyes struggling to stay open. His rush of excitement had faded away like a sugar such. So with a flap of his wings, the prince went to lay down on the opposite side of the wagon. The sounds of the world outside began to fade away as he drifted off to sleep...

~~...~~

The spirit stood on the shrine, his eyes never leaving Avalar. He sighed and shook his head. The spirit spoke to the prince, even though he knew nobody could hear him.

 _"You mustn't try to bring her back, Cyrus. You have no idea what you'll unleash."_

The spirit stood in that spot for a few more moments, letting himself take in the sights of the distant city of Avalar. Oh, it had been so long since he walked the streets of Avalar in his mortal form. Everything had changed quite a lot in the last century and a half. He was still happy to visit home again, even if his appearances had limits now...

As the spirit turned around, he felt a voice tugging at the back of his mind.

Are you there? A feminine voice asked. We've got a problem.

 _"I know..."_ The male spirit frowned. _"The prince wouldn't listen to me."_

 _It's not that,_ the female said. _Rune has been taken to Warfang!_

The spirit's eyes widened. Everything had just taken a turn for the worse, and he was powerless to intervene.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

This chapter actually wound up a tad longer than I meant it to be. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to you to decide.

In other news, next week's chapter might be uploaded slightly later than usual. But it should still be on Sunday, even if it's the afternoon. Time is running out until the big halfway point of the story, and I'm hoping it'll be a huge event. See you next time!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas._


	19. Act 2, Chapter 5

Elder Matthew leaned back in his chair, placing one forepaw over the other. He looked between the Jules and Hontus, who waited awkwardly for a response. A small pit formed in Hontus's gut.

"So..." The Elder snorted. "Where did you hear the name Culmubrae?"

Hontus and Jules briefly locked eyes with each other. Jules quietly nodded in affirmation to Hontus, who calmly took a breath.

"During the encounter with the dark dragons in Glenhaven, the term 'Culmubrae' was mentioned in passing." The fire drake said. "When we brought it up with Elder Telus, he seemed hesitant to tell us anything."

"He was, was he?" Matthew asked. "Well, that's to be expected. The Order of Culmubrae isn't exactly a _secret_ order, but they prefer to stay obscure."

"Well they've done a good job." Jules stated. "Now could you please explain who they are?"

"Hmm..." Matthew scratched his chin. "Are you sure you-?"

"Yes." Hontus slammed his paw down on the table. He was growing tired of having the question dodged.

"Temper, temper." Matthew raised an eye ridge. "There's no need for such hotheadedness. But I suppose I owe you an explanation..." The old dragon stood up, stretching his back. "Now, what you need to know up front is that the origins of the Order of Culmubrae dates back to one-hundred-and-fifty years ago, after Lord Spyro saved our race from extinction..."

"I see..." Hontus repositioned himself at the table to get comfortable. He had a feeling it was going to be a long story. And from the face Jules made, the captain thought the same thing. Matthew cleared his throat and began the tale.

"After Spyro's victory, he made his home in Warfang, and everything seemed fine... but a few years later, trouble came to Warfang in the form of a gang of dark dragons. They caused chaos, murdered civilians, and brought unbridled destruction. And Although Spyro and his allies succeeded in defeating those evil dragons, the damage had been done."

"What do you mean?" Jules asked.

"Word quickly got out that new dragons were coming to Warfang. Many of them were dark dragons. Terrador, the earth Guardian of the time, feared the worst; what if any more dark dragons planned an assault on the city? So he quietly put together a contingency plan for how to deal with any more assailants: a band of warriors who would fight in Spyro's place should he ever pass away. And that band of warriors was the Order of Culmubrae."

"What was the purpose of the Order?" Hontus asked.

"So the Order of Culmubrae was a sort of secret guard." Hontus said, scratching his chin. "Did Lord Spyro know of it?"

"I can't say for sure." Elder Matthew shrugged his shoulder. "At the beginning, the Order's mission was to monitor the actions of the dark dragons living in Warfang. But as times changed and new cities were founded, the Order's ranks were increased, so that they may keep watch over the whole of the dragon realms. Warfang was made as the headquarters, while smaller chapters were established in each of the dragon cities."

Hontus nodded, but he couldn't help but be puzzled. Why hadn't he or his fellow Guardians of Glenhaven been made privy to the Order before?

"Terrador is Elder Telus's great-grandfather." Jules stated. "Could it be that their bloodline became members of the Order by default?"

"Hmm..." Matthew sighed. "Oaths require that I don't give away confidential information about individual members of the Order."

"So that means you're a member." Jules said, wracking his talons on the table.

"I won't confirm or deny it." Matthew shook his head. "Just know that the Order is always watching."

"Very well..." Jules sighed. He stood up and stretched out his wings. "So, what did the Order do about the Twilight War?"

"The War?" Matthew blinked curiously.

"Yes. After Lord Spyro passed away, did the Order step any further out of secrecy? And just who is at the head of the organization?"

"Interesting Questions, Sir Jules." Matthew said. He clasped his forepaws together again. "Many of those details are kept under strict confidentiality, I'm afraid."

"Is that so...?" Jules replied.

Hontus turned away while Jules was grilling Matthew for further information. He turned to gaze out the window that faced the southern ocean. As Hontus peered through the cloudy sky, he looked down at the ports. His eyes glanced towards the rubble that was once the statue of the dragoness Cynder. Hontus sighed and turned back around.

"Elder Matthew..." Hontus said. "You said that the Order was put in place to monitor the actions of the dark dragons where they lived."

"Indeed." Matthew nodded.

"Did that include the dragoness Cynder?"

The air in the chamber became chill and silent at the Elder glared at Hontus. Hontus grimaced and stepped back, while Jules looked between the two in confusion. The Elder took a steady breath, and then exhaled. The look in Matthew's eyes told Hontus that he was holding back rage.

"Do you mean the Terror of the Skies?" Matthew asked.

"I'm not familiar with that title." Hontus shook his head, sitting back down. "When I was a boy, I was told quite a few stories about Lady Cynder. I never saw her in person, but I know she was a powerful dark dragoness who lived in Warfang as Spyro's-"

"That's a lie!" Matthew shouted. Hontus flinched but didn't fall back. Jules looked between the two again, taken aback.

"It's no lie." Hontus said calmly. "I was told those tales by Telus himself when I was a youngling."

"Don't listen to Telus's falsehoods." Matthew snapped.

"Now wait just a minute." Jules snapped. He stood up and glowered at Matthew. "I've known Elder Telus for all of my life. He told me those same stories of the great Cynder. Elder Telus is not one to spread falsehoods... **Elder**." Jules gritted his fangs at the end.

"Is that all he told you?" Matthew demanded. "Did 'Elder' Telus also tell you about Cynder's time as the GREAT WHORE?!"

Hontus stepped back in disgust. Where did this aggression come from so suddenly?

"Excuse me?" Jules stepped back, an eye ridge raised in suspicion. "I didn't expect that an Elder would use such language."

"Whore. Harlot. Prostitute. They all mean the same thing." Matthew barred his fangs. "Cynder was the dragoness who destroyed our ancestors. She was the Terror of the Skies. The dragoness who nearly doomed us all!"

"I've never heard such things before." Hontus sais. "Where are you getting this from?"

"Of course you'd never heard it before, thanks to all the lies." Matthew snorted. "And not just from Telus. All of the Guardians before the Twilight War would have you believe that Cynder was a good-hearted dragoness. All records of her crimes... her **sins**... were wiped from historical records. They wanted all the dragon race to forget who she was... But the Order of Culmubrae Remembers."

"Remembers what?" Jules demanded.

Matthew looked between Hontus and Jules with a scowl before he continued.

"Cynder used the power of Convexity to command an army of apes. Dragons of all breeds were scattered, butchered. Their bones were broken, their flesh was burned, and their eggs were smashed to pieces. All under HER orders. Dragons' blood was on not only her forepaws, but her every scale. Cynder... The Terror of the Skies... was the greatest evil the dragon race has ever known. And the world is a better place now that she's dead."

Hontus glanced worriedly at Jules. The captain kept up a brave face, but his forepaw subconsciously reached for where his pipe was kept. But then Jules curled his talons into a fist and put his paw back down.

"I have another question, Elder." Jules cleared his throat. "What about the dragons who carry the blood of Spyro and Cynder?"

Matthew narrowed his eye ridges. Hontus took a step back, not sure what would happen next.

"What would you say to the black dragon king if you were to return?" Jules asked.

~~...~~

A short while later, Jules and Hontus were _escorted_ by Matthew's guards to the guest chambers. Jules could still hear the Elder ranting and raving about "sacrilege" and "blasphemy" It didn't matter to the captain. Even if he didn't always agree with the choices Telus made, he was still his Elder, and his father-in-law. Jules owed Telus his unquestioning loyalty.

"Do you think it was wise to ask him such questions, Sir?" Hontus asked.

"Perhaps not entirely." Jules nodded. "But still, I learned all that I needed to know."

The captain eyed each of the guards that led them through the tower. They looked back with suspicion and irritation. They likely had similar allegiance to Elder Matthew, but that wouldn't change Jules' mind.

"Excuse me, could you let us speak privately?" Jules asked. "I have something that I'd like to discuss with my companion alone."

"Elder Matthew has asked us to keep an eye on you until you've been brought to the guest chambers." The cheetah said. "You won't be discussing anything privately until then."

"All I ask is a few minutes." Jules insisted. "Just wait around a corner, please."

The cheetah glared at Jules for a moment. He then turned to his partner, who shrugged his shoulders. The first cheetah sighed and shook his head before turned towards a nearby intersection.

"Three minutes." The guard said. "And don't you move from that spot until then!"

"You have my word, sir." Jules bowed his head. Once the two guards were around the corner, Jules turned to face Hontus. The captain could feel the pressure to reach for his pipe, but his shut his eyes and took a breath. He saw Hontus give a worried look before backing up against the wall.

"What are we going to do, Captain?" Hontus whispered.

"The atmosphere of this place has grown too inhospitable for my liking." Jules said into Hontus's ear frill. "Something's going on in the northern continent, and I fear that this Order of Culmubrae is at the center of it."

"Does this change our efforts to found the children?" Hontus asked.

"Of course not." Jules shook his head. "But we need to be more careful. It may not just be dark dragons who we have to keep an eye out for."

"Understood, sir." Hontus saluted.

Jules and Hontus were escorted straight to the guest barracks after that. It was a wide and spacious chamber near the base of the tower, with many beds arranged in rows. Most of the bunks were taken up by dragons in nomadic hoods. Several guards seemed to be inspecting the nomads one by one, taking notes on provisions they requested. Jules looked around, his suspicions growing again. Any one of those dragons could be a dark dragon in disguise. or worse, one of the allies of that trio they encountered in Glenhaven. But with known discernable way for a light dragon to pierce the magical disguise, any of them could be a threat. Perhaps that's why the barracks was under heavy guard.

Jules and Hontus were taken to the back of the barracks, which had two doors that each led to a large bedroom. From what Jules could tell, they were reserved for visiting Guardians and other special guests.

The pair didn't have long to wait for Seraph and Voden to arrive. The pair were being escorted into the barracks by more of the cheetah guards. Hontus was happy to see that Seraph was in a brighter mood than she was before. Voden, however, had a rather uncharacteristic demeanor about himself as they approached.

Hontus draped a wing over Seraph's back and nuzzled her head, before turning to address Voden. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't believe they would dismantle the lighthouse over something so... petty." Voden said with a sneer. "Lady Cynder was an incredible dragoness. How dare they say such foul things about her?"

"It can't be helped, Voden." Jules replied. "It's for the best that you just let it go until we leave."

"That's easier sad than done for me, Sir." Voden glared out the nearby window. "This place was my home. And look what they've done with it."

"You might want to keep your voice down." Jules said. He pointed with a wing towards the other side of the barracks. Voden turned to look, followed by Hontus and Seraph. Several of the light dragons spoke in hushed tones with the cheetah guards. They'd occasionally glance at the Guardians, before turning away. A low growl rose from Voden's throat.

"I've had my fill of dragons speaking about me behind my back." The scholar said. "The sooner we leave, the better."

"We're not going anywhere until the storm ends." Seraph shook her wings. "All we can do is wait here overnight..." The dragoness sighed. "I hope the children are alright."

"Let's turn in for the night." Jules looked back at the two doors to the guest bedrooms. "Voden, you'll take the bed in the one on the left. Hontus and Seraph can share the right bedroom. I'll make do on my own. We'll continue our mission in the morning."

"Yes, sir." Hontus and Voden bowed their heads and turned towards the doorways.

"Before we leave, could I bid farewell to my uncle?" Seraph asked.

"Fine by me." Jules snorted. "Just don't take too much time."

Seraph nodded yes and entered the bedroom...

~~...~~

Albanion sat quietly at the window, watching the thundering rain. He stretched out his neck and groaned as the endless droplets splashed against the window frame.

Albanion, Elza and Aegis had spent the afternoon preparing to leave for Warfang. Their original plan was to leave via a wagon... but that all changed when a sudden storm hit Ninn. Everyone had to stay indoors for the night, lest they caught a cold. Currently, the trio were in the second floor of a local inn. Harlon and a few of the other nomads had purchased a nights' stay, and the chief invited the Deep Shadows to spend the night.

 _Miserable weather..._ Albanion fluttered his wings. _Nothing good ever comes from a storm._

Albanion turned from the window and looked around the room. There were three beds, divided into two sections. Aegis was seated in the cushion in the corner, reading through that book he found in Glenhaven. The burly drake was trying to decipher more of the ritual. Meanwhile, Elza was speaking with Harlon at the other end of the room. Harlon's daughter was playing with straw toys a short distance from Harlon's paws.

Albanion gave a low yawned and walked across the bedroom. He stopped by a small end table, upon which sat his satchel. Albanion began fishing through it as he spoke to his companions.

"Are you two fully packed to leave?"

"I suppose we are," Aegis said as he turned a page, "But I don't think any of us are fit to fly through that rain. So why ask now?"

"We won't be flying, no..." Albanion said. "But we WILL be leaving, via this."

Albanion picked up an object that was wrapped in thick cloth. He unwrapped it to reveal a large, purple crystal. The crystal was shimmering with a black aura that danced along the surface.

Aegis grimaced. "Are you sure we should use that? It's our last one."

"All the more reason to use it." Albanion said. "We'll quicken our trip to Warfang, where we'll wait until..." Albanion took a deep breath and shut his eyes. "until IT happens. Once IT's over, we'll return to The Nexus to restock."

"Wait a minute." Harlon said. He carefully stepped around Lillie to approach the end table. "What exactly is that?"

Albanion turned towards Harlon with a blank expression. "If I tell you, you have to swear to keep it a secret."

"You have my word, sir." The chief bowed.

"Very well." Albanion cleared his throat and took a deep breath. He then lowered his voice to a whisper, lest anyone be listening in. "This... is a crystal shard of... Convexity."

"Convexi-?!" Harlon quickly covered his maw. Albanion glared at him irritably for a moment before rolling his eyes. Harlon sighed and bent his head low. "My apologies. I just never thought that... that element was still around."

"The amount of Convexity shards that are in my lord's possession isn't relevant." Albanion said. "What's important to know is that it's the key to his plans."

"I see..." Harlon studied the glowing purple crystal with curiosity. "It seems very potent."

"This is but a sliver." Albanion held it up. "Just enough of the element to serve a use without anyone becoming drunk on its power. This particular shard is used for teleporting across large distances, in case we need to make a hasty retreat."

"Is there more?"

"That's as much as I'll tell you, Harlon." Albanion glared. "Don't push it."

"Again, I apologize..." Harlon bowed again. He stood up to clear his throat. "Lillia!"

"Huh?" The youngling looked up from her toys. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Come on, dear. It's time for bed." Harlon grasped Lillia by the scruff of her neck and carried her to bed."

"But I'm not sleepy, Daddy." The youngling frowned. Harlon sighed and nuzzled her forehead.

"We have a big day tomorrow, sweetie. You need all the rest you can get."

The young dragoness tossed and turned on the bed. She tried to sit up, but Harlon gently nudged her to lay back down. She looked up at him with a pout. Elza snickered at the little dragon's fussing.

"Perhaps I could lend a paw?" She asked as she stepped forwards.

Harlon looked back at her with a raised eye ridge as he held Lillie down with a forepaw. "I'd appreciate it, ma'am."

Elza stepped up to the bed and sat down, her eyes on Lillia. The youngling watched her curiously, still fighting against her father's paw. Elza took a breath and began singing a lullaby:

 _Look to the stars as they shine down,_

 _As you lay down in bed,_

 _They'll guide you to the realm of dreams,_

 _So rest your weary head._

 _The moon will share it's pleasant light,_

 _As darkness gives you peace,_

 _You'll never have a restless night,_

 _Your dreams shall never cease._

Lillia was entranced by the lullaby. The youngling gave a few yawns before turning onto her side and curling up. Harlon smiled and planted a nuzzle on her forehead.

"Goodnight, my little one." He whispered as he pulled a blanket over her. "Pleasant dreams." Once his daughter was snoring, Harlon looked up at Elza and smiled. "Thank you, milady."

"You're welcome, chieftain." Elza replied.

"Pray tell, what was that song? I'm not familiar with it."

"It was a lullaby crafted by the late Queen." Elza looked out the window and sighed. "She was such a dear friend."

"I see..." Harlon looked away uneasily.

Albanion stepped around the chieftain and stood beside Elza. He could always tell when she was feeling nostalgic about Elenar. Sometimes it even made him recall the memories himself. With a silent nod, Albanion silently draped a wing over her shoulder.

"Harlon, if you don't mind my asking..." Aegis began. "But you've gotten a secret out of us. So I think it's fair that you do the same."

"Eh?" The chief looked towards him. "What's the matter?"

"Well, I've just been thinking..." Aegis stretched out his wing. "You've seen Albanion, Elza and I without our shrouds. But I've only ever seen you with that red face of yours."

Albanion turned to look at the pair. Harlon's face became uneasy again,

"How come you never remove your shroud?" Aegis asked. "Doesn't it grow taxing on the mind to remain in the guise of a red dragon all the time?"

"Well..." Harlon bit his lower lip. "It's hard to explain..."

Albanion scratched the back of his head with a thumb-talon. Harlon didn't seem like the type with anything to hide, shrouds of darkness notwithstanding.

"What I do, I do for my daughter." Harlon said. "Her happiness and well-being always takes priority." He walked over and sat down at the end table. "The differences between light and dark dragons are... difficult for a dragoness her age to understand. I'd prefer to just leave it at that."

Albanion exchanged a curious glance with Elza. Aegis sighed and looked away.

"Well, if that's how you feel, then I won't press any further." Aegis said.

"Thank you." Harlon bowed his head.

"I believe we've spent enough time here." Albanion said. He lifted up the convexity crystal and faced the center of the room. "I thank you for your hospitality, Harlon, but we must continue our journey. Elza, Aegis, get ready."

Albanion's companions wasted no time gathering up their satchels and belongings. They stood on either side of Albanion as he lifted the crystal up. Harlon stepped back against the side wall and watched curiously. Once Albanion tossed the crystal forwards, it exploded into a geyser of black mist.

"We should arrive at the outskirts of Warfang once we're through." Albanion said. "Once we're through, we camp for the night." He looked back towards Harlon and saluted. "I wish you a safe journey, wherever your path takes you."

"I wish the same for you, Sir Albanion." Harlon bowed his head.

"I hope your daughter grows up to be healthy and strong." Elza smiled.

"And make sure she's an avid reader." Aegis chuckled.

Harlon laughed and nodded yes. Albanion, Elza and Aegis stepped through the mist...

~~...~~

It was quite late. Matthew sat before a wooden desk in his bedchamber.

"Despicable blasphemer." Matthew snarled. "If he fell under my command, I'd have his tongue ripped out and burned!"

The chamber was rectangular in shape, the walls and ceiling made of grey stone. The back wall had a large double-door that led out to a balcony. Matthew's soldiers stood on guard on the balcony, ensuring no one tries a sneak attack on the Elder. The room was kept illuminated by a few torches about the room, which burned with a magical fire. There was also a bright candle on the dragon's desk.

"I need to forget about them..." Matthew said as he picked up one of several scrolls on his desk. "I've got bigger things to worry about."

As the elder worked, he could hear the sound of the mighty thunderstorm raging outside. Echoing thunder cracked, muffled only by the back doors. Time and again, his mind drifted back to the Glenhaven visitors, and all the news they shared. And that in turn led to the rumors spread about the black king. Matthew put his quill down with a sneer.

"Damn that drake." He spat. "And damn that captain for reminding me about him."

The elder held up the medallion around his neck. He used a talon to press down on the face of the medallion, causing it to split open. Within the halves of the medallion was a small, silver-and-gold coin. Matthew held it up in the light, his gaze focused on the image of a golden dragon killing a black one. A strange freezing sensation crept over his back, but he ignored it.

"That murderer won't get the best of me." Matthew said with anger. "I won't give him the chance."

For a time, Matthew imagined that it was he who was stabbing the black dragon in the chest. He grinned, liking the idea of ridding the world of the black dragon line once and for all.

Eventually, Matthew put his coin away and returned to his work. He picked up his quill pen and set to work on his scroll. He felt so content in the silence of his bedchamber.

~~...~~

Hontus and Seraph had slept together for several hours. Hontus had his forelegs wrapped around his wife to keep her warm. His snout was buried in her neck as he snored peacefully. Seraph was comfortable with him being there, but still couldn't get to sleep. A thunderstorm raged outside the glass window of the east side of the room. Thousands of droplets splashed against the windows, creating a ceaseless pitter-patter.

Seraph gently slid out from beneath Hontus and stood up. She approached her windowsill with a frown. She could barely see a few yards beyond the glass.

"Miserable weather..." Seraph groaned. As she looked outside, her thoughts drifted towards her children.

In her mind, Seraph saw Blankridge happily splashing about in the puddles with a giddy laugh. Nellie sat under the protection of a tree's leaves with her art easel. Rune sat beside her, watching Blankridge run around.

Blankridge stopped jumping around and smirked at his siblings. Without warning, he leaped into a puddle right in front of them. Rune and Nellie yelped while Blankridge laughed. Nellie angrily splashed her brother with water, and before long the two got into a water fight. Rune awkwardly watched, like he always did. But before long, Seraph ran into the scene. She pulled Blankridge and Nellie apart, glaring between them. The pair looked up at their mother with grumbles.

Outside of their field of view, however, Seraph swung her tail and splashed it into a puddle, splashing them without warning. They cried out in surprise, while Seraph giggled. She proceeded to continue splashing them while they splashed back.

As she played with her children, Seraph glanced at Rune. He was still sitting there, watching the others with a confused face. Seraph walked over to him and held out a forepaw. Rune cautiously took her paw, and Seraph led him over to the others. Rune carefully splashed water on Blankridge, who barely flinched. Nellie lightly splashed Rune's face, and Rune splashed her back. Before long, everyone joined in the game of splashing. The cheers and laughter slowly died out as the memory faded away.

"I hope you three are okay." Seraph whispered sadly. She shut her eyes, a few tears falling from them as she moved towards her bed.

But as she walked by her doorway, she heard footfalls just outside it. A shadow passed by the crack of the door. Curiosity overcame Seraph, so she approached the door to open it slightly.

The barracks was mostly quiet. The nomads were sound asleep in the many beds lined against the walls. Dragon and cheetah guards stood as sentries in various spots. Beyond the barracks, Seraph could swear she saw the shadow of a dragoness walking down the hallway.

 _What was that...?_ Seraph wondered. Looking left and right, she decided to go investigate. Seraph walked carefully and calmly down the rows of bunks. She didn't get far before a doorknob rattled behind her. Seraph initially got on her guard, but she took a sigh of relief as Voden poked his head through the doorway.

"Seraph? What are you doing out of bed?" Voden asked curiously.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep." Seraph shrugged her shoulders. "So I thought I would take a walk. How about you?"

"I couldn't either." Voden shook his head. He pushed the door open and stepped out. "I know the Captain told me not to think about the changes to the tower... but I guess I have my faults."

"I guess we're guilty of the same thing: We worry too much." Seraph chuckled lightly. She fluttered one of her wings. "Would you like to walk with me? I could use some company."

"Sounds good to me." The scholar nodded. He carefully shut the door behind himself before following behind Seraph.

Seraph and Voden walked quietly through the barracks. A few of the sentries eyed them, but didn't move or say anything. Seraph sighed in relief; she could do without explaining a casual walk. She turned to look at Voden, who sighed with a look of longing.

"It's times like this that I reminisce about my time as a lad." The scholar whispered. "I used to walk through these halls with an eager smile. I could stay up all night talking about the future with some of my fellow students."

"What were there names?" Seraph asked.

"Well, there was Xannid, Canaan, and the sprightly Nerona." Voden chuckled. "Those three were always getting into all kinds of trouble with their shadow-jumping."

"Oh, so they were all shadow dragons." Seraph brought her voice to as low of a whisper as she could, lest she disturb the sentries.

"Aye." Voden nodded. He turned to look out a nearby window. "Canaan got himself caught in that window once. His tail was stuck in the glass."

"Oh my. Was he alright?" Seraph frowned.

"Oh, of course. But the others never let him hear the end of it after that." Voden nearly erupted into laughter, but he caught himself. "Ah, those were the days."

"I can't say I ever met a dark dragon before the war." Seraph said. "My father made sure my sister and I never left Dante's Freezer until it was over."

"Well I can assure you, they're not all like some claim they were... are..." Voden sighed.

Seraph frowned and looked away. She couldn't say she hated dark dragons... not after finding out her little Rune is one of them. But **someone** had murdered King Horus. And **someone** tried to take Rune with them. Were they all in the same group?

Seraph didn't have much time to ponder this question, as when she and Voden stepped into the hallway, Seraph saw something strange. In the blink of an eye, a blue dragoness slipped through a shadow on the wall. But just like that, she was gone.

"Huh?" Seraph blinked in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Voden asked her.

"I thought I just saw..." Seraph stared down the hall for a moment. She scratched the back of her head with a wing-talon. "It almost looked like..."

Voden stepped into the hall and looked around. He shrugged and looked back at her. "I don't see anything."

"That's the thing; it looked like somebody was just there, and vanished." Seraph stepped further down the hallway. A shiver passed over his back. "I'm getting a bad feeling, Voden. Like something's going wrong, but I just can't put my talon on it."

"Do you want to go back to bed?" Voden asked.

"Of course not." Seraph shook her head. "In fact, I feel like I should go back to Uncle Neptus. I need to talk to him again."

"Are you sure? He might be too busy."

"Nonsense." Seraph pushed past Voden. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Voden sighed and followed after her. "If you say so, Seraph."

~~...~~

Something slowly began to dawn on Elder Matthew.

There was a raging storm outside. But he heard nothing. He turned his eyes towards the balcony again. He saw the black thunderclouds, the rain, and the occasional lightning strike. But there was only _silence._

Matthew felt uneasy. He took frightful gulp of air... and saw it condense. A chill crept over Matthew's scales. Frightened, Matthew looked around. The torches were slowly dying as the temperature plummeted. Matthew got up from his desk and approached the back doors, his shivers worsening. A cold mist had formed on the glass, obscuring part of his view.

"Edward, Valen, what's going on?" Matthew called out to his guards and pounded on the glass. But they didn't respond. They simply stared off at the horizon, the rainwater doing nothing to distract them.

"Edward, Valen, answer your Elder!" Matthew demanded. He pounded several more times, but they still didn't move. Angered by their inattention, Matthew went to unlock the door. The freezing metal stung his paw as he grasped it. Try as he might, he couldn't get the knob to budge.

"What in the name of..." Matthew muttered. He tried his best to open the door, pounding as hard as he could on the glass. He struck the glass with all his might, even calling upon earth magic to try to shattered the door.

But it didn't budge, didn't break... and didn't even _make a sound_.

"Edward! Valen!" Matthew roared. Not even a twitch came from the guards.

With as much strength as his old bones could muster, Matthew pounded on the glass again and again. By the time he wore himself out, he found that his efforts only bought him an imprint in the mist on the glass.

"What's going on?!" He shouted.

The elder pulled himself up from the floor and turned towards the other side of the room. Panting, he limped over to the front door. He grasped the knob and pulled left and right, but it wouldn't budge. And what was worse, the metal stung his paw with an icy chill. The elder was trapped in his own room.

"HELP!" He shouted, pounding in vain on the front door. None of his blows made a sound. As Matthew struggled against the door, a light vanished from the corner of his eye. He turned to see that the candle on his desk had gone out. After taking a single step forwards, all of the torches were suddenly extinguished. The only source of light left came from outside.

"What in Spyro's name is happening?!" Matthew cried out. He looked about, hoping to find some way to regain the light and warmth. He pounded on the walls, struggling to be heard.

"Somebody, open the door!"

The air was silent and still... until a deep voice spoke from behind.

"There is a price to pay, for every sin you commit."

Matthew's mane stood on end. He spun around in alarm, and his eyes widened in horror. A tall specter of shadows stood in the center of the room, silhouetted against the back door. The specter seemed to resemble a dragon, but not a single detail was visible. The only thing the elder could see were a pair of golden eyes with a gaze like daggers.

"Y-YOU!" Matthew backed up into the wall.

The black figure lunged forwards, making a grab for Matthew's medallion. The elder snarled and slashed at the assailant with his talons. As the specter tried to pull the medallion away, Matthew turned his head to bite down onto the figure's foreleg. The black drake hissed in pain and dropped the medallion.

Matthew let go and roared, unleashing a barrage of earth bombs and spires out in all directions. The shadowy drake surrounded himself with an aura of purple magic. Matthew had to shield his eyes as the bombs and spires dissolved into nothingness. While the assailant was distracted, Matthew hastily retrieved the coin from the medallion. He clutched the coin in both forepaws and concentrated. The background of the coin began to glow a bright white.

"He's here! He's infiltrated the tower!" Matthew shouted into the coin. "I don't know how, but he's here!"

Without warning, Matthew felt a force pull him backwards. He landed with a hard thud on his back, pain spiking through him. The shadow dragon stood over him, his eyes filled with rage. Matthew mustered all the magical power he had to unleash a dragon's deadliest attack; the Fury. Earth energy exploded out of his body, colliding with all the furniture and tearing it to pieces. Yet still, everything was a silent as the grave.

The shadowy dragon shielded himself with a purple aura once again. None of the energy gave any light onto his body. The assailant forced most of the energy from the fury to fall back onto Matthew's body. Matthew's scales burned and cracked before falling away. Horrible pain burned through him, forcing him to squint. Through his blurred vision, Matthew saw a glint of silver reflecting the dim light coming through the back doors. The silver blur was rising up into the air like a...

Matthew gasped. It was a sword!

Using the last of his energy, Matthew fought through the pain and snatched up his medallion. As the silver blur came down upon Matthew's neck, the elder lifted the medallion into the blade's path...

~~...~~

Neptus sat in the telescope chamber, going over his notes at the table. He puffed form his pipe as he sat in thought. A pair of guards, a lightning dragon and an earth dragon, stood at attendance on either side of the southern doorway.

Suddenly, a knock sounded. Neptus stood up with a grumble.

"Who could it be at this hour?" He muttered. The old drake walked across the bridge as the knocking continued.

"Who is it?" Neptus demanded. He peered through a looking glass in the center of the wall. Outside, he could see the vague visage of Seraph's face standing there, dressed in a thick cloak of some kind.

"Seraph?" Neptus asked curiously. He unlocked the door and pulled it open. "Can I help you with anything, dear?"

Seraph walked by him and into the chamber. Neptus closed the door and followed her. The dragoness looked around at the observatory, never saying a word.

"Seraph, what's wrong?" Neptus asked, "Why aren't you speaking?"

Seraph held a forepaw up to her throat and coughed heavily.

"Forgive me." She said in a hoarse voice. "I guess I caught a little cold."

"You seemed just fine a few hours ago..." Neptus said, scratching his bald head with a wing.

"Can we talk in private?" Seraph pleaded. "It's very important."

"Very well..." Neptus sighed. He turned to his two guards and told them to leave. As the guards left the room, Neptus closed the door shut. He turned around to see Seraph walking up to the telescope. There was something strange about the way Seraph moved, but he couldn't put his talon on it.

"Alright, we're alone." Neptus walked along the bridge to face. "Now tell me, what did you want to talk about, dear?"

Seraph's smile faded into a glare. She spoke in a completely different voice.

"The coin."

~~...~~

Seraph and Voden spent at least ten minutes heading up the tower. Everything was quiet and calm. Everything seemed fine... and yet Seraph still couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was amiss. She felt a chill on the back of her neck.

 _Why is everything so quiet?_ She wondered as she looked about.

Seraph approached the door to Neptus's office and grasped the knocker. Voden stood off to the side, looking out the window at the storm beyond.

"Who goes there?" A guard asked via the intercom.

"This is Neptus's niece." Seraph called. "I wish to speak to him again."

"His niece? But the one called Seraph just arrived here a few minutes ago."

Seraph head reeled back in surprise. Voden seemed just as baffled.

"That can't be!" She exclaimed. "I'm Seraph! I was just here a few hours ago!"

"I recognize that voice." A second guard said. "It matches much better than that other dragoness."

"Other dragoness?" Seraph repeated. Dread filled her being, and she pounded on the door. "What do you mean other dragoness?!"

A loud scream came bellowing out of the intercom, causing Seraph and Voden to gasp in unison.

"ELDER NEPTUS!" A guard screamed.

Seraph pounded even harder on the door. "LET ME IN!"

The door opened a split second later. A guard pulled her inside as several others ran towards the doorway to the telescope chamber. Voden hurried after them, rushing to keep up. The guards nearly knocked the door off its hinges in their haste. When Seraph spilled through the door, she gasped in horror. Neptus lay in the center of the chamber, twitching in agony. A dragoness who looked just like Seraph stood over him with a malicious grin.

Seraph couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. The stranger looked just like her, albeit with mismatched horns. She froze in place, unable to make sense of it.

"What in the world...?" Voden muttered. "Is that a...?"

While Seraph and Voden stood in place, the guards roared in rage and charged forwards. The guard at the front unleashed a lightning blast. The dragoness vanished in a cloud of shadows just as the lightning came crashing down. She reappeared beside the lightning dragon in an instant, tackling him to the ground. She drove her talons deep into his chest. The guard screamed and shook violently. With a quick slash of her talons, the false Seraph slit the guard's throat and tossed him off the side of the platform.

The earth guard charged to strike the assailant from behind. But she once again vanished in a cloud of shadows, letting earth bombs crash into the platform. The false Seraph appeared at the guard's side and dug her talons into him. The guard soon crumpled to the floor with a howl of pain. The assailant killed him and shoved his body over the side as well.

Seraph stood on the bridge, eyes wide with horror. Voden stepped around her slowly, his eyes darting this way and that. Seraph's double teleported to the console by the telescope and scratched a large glyph on the face.

"EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN ENGAGED," said an ethereal voice.

A shield of green energy surrounded every inch of the dome interior, blocking off the four doorways. The safety rails on the four walkways retracted down and the bridges folded upwards. Seraph felt herself sliding forwards, so she spread her wings and leaped through the air. She glided towards the central platform, coming to a landing beside the moaning Neptus. Voden had glided across to the right side of the platform, his eyes never leaving the assailant.

"Seraph..." Neptus said weakly. He body was covered in scratches and red wounds.

"Uncle..." Seraph knelt down to look him over. She couldn't stand to see him in so much pain. She called upon water magic to try and soothe his pain.

"Who are you?" Voden said to the assailant. "Why have you attacked this observatory?"

The dragoness didn't answer him. She just kept her eyes on Seraph as she healed Neptus's wounds. The duplicate let out a harsh cackling, at which Seraph snarled.

"Who are you?!" Seraph shouted. The other dragoness gave a mocking.

"Here, let me show you..." The false Seraph chided. She held up an orb of black mist before herself. It exploded and flew over her entire body. The mist soon faded away, revealing dark grey scales and crimson eyes. A red mane fell around three dark horns. And a sadistic grin spread from ear frill to ear frill.

Seraph gasped. "You're a dark dragon!"

"Of course, genius." The dragoness snorted.

Anger filled Seraph's being. She carefully put Neptus down and stood up tall. She fanned out her wings and exhaled an icy mist from her nostrils. The dark dragons stepped back, but had a snicker on her face.

"Oh, are you going to fight me, icy draken?" She asked mockingly.

"You're going to pay for what you've done here!" Seraph hissed. She stepped forwards and glanced at Voden. "Get her!"

Voden had been silent and still for the entire time the dark dragoness revealed her true form. His eyes were wide with stunned amazement. Voden took a single step forward, but it seemed like he couldn't bring himself to draw any closer to the assailant.

"What are you doing?" Seraph asked in confusion.

"Heh." The dark dragoness smirked wider. "It looks like your friend has lost his nerve. If you want to fight, you'll have to do it one on-"

"Nerona?" Voden asked.

The dragoness's expression vanished. She glared at Voden in surprise and alarm. Seraph was equally as surprised, taking a step back. The assailant flashed her fangs and spread out her wings.

"How do you know my name?" Nerona demanded.

"Nerona... it's me." Voden carefully lifted a forepaw to his chest. "Voden."

"Voden? I don't know any..." The dark dragoness stopped speaking. Realization flashed through Nerona's eyes. "Oh... Of course."

A silence fell over the observatory. Seraph looked back and forth between Voden and the dark dragoness. Hatred still boiled in Seraph's veins for how this dragoness attacked her uncle. And yet she saw something in the way Voden and Nerona looked at each other.

"So... you're a Guardian now." Nerona said, an eye ridge raised upon seeing the symbol of his armor. "Quite a change for Mr. Scholar."

"Nerona..." Voden spoke carefully. "Why are you attacking the dragons in the Silver Talon?"

"How can you still call this place by that name, Voden?" Nerona demanded. "Look at how they've desecrated this tower! By the Ancestors, they've dismantled the statue of Lady Cynder. The Silver Talon is dead."

"That's besides the point." Voden said, extending a wing towards Neptus. "You've attacked an elderly dragon. You've assaulted and killed several guards. This isn't like you at all, Nerona!"

"Voden... I'm not the same dragoness you used to know." Nerona wracked her talons against the floor. "And what I do here is to serve my Lord... the Black King."

"The black dragon king?" Voden asked. "He lives? Where is he?"

"I can't tell you!" Nerona snapped. "You're a light dragon!"

Voden tilted his head back in surprise. "When did that ever affect our friendship?"

"Friendship?!" Seraph exclaimed. "Voden, this isn't the time for such talk! Friends or not, she's attempted to assassinate my uncle!"

"Oh hush, icy draken." Nerona sneered towards Seraph. "I've already gotten what I wanted out of that Culmubrae swine."

"Culmubrae?" Seraph repeated. She looked down worriedly at Neptus, who turned to look away. Seraph turned back towards Nerona, who kept looking between her and Voden.

"I'm under orders, Voden." Nerona sneered. "If you try to fight me, I **will** kill you."

"I'm not going to fight you, Nerona." Voden snapped, taking a step back.

"What?!" Seraph exclaimed. "Voden, look what she's done!"

Nerona seemed just as surprised, but Voden wasn't deterred. He just slowly walked around the edge of the platform to stand beside Seraph.

"I will not be forced or coerced into fighting you." Voden said. "Whatever you're doing to serve the Black King, I still believe there's good in you. And there's good in ALL dark dragons. I only wish to understand why you're doing what you're doing."

Seraph looked at Voden incredulously. She was about to move around Voden to charge into an attack, but Voden extended a wing to block her.

"You've seen what she's capable of." Voden whispered. "Don't try what they did."

"But-" Seraph started to say, but was cut off by Neptus's moaning.

"Just focus on healing your uncle." The scholar insisted.

Nerona had focused on Voden in stunned silence. It was if his words were still bouncing around in her head. She kept expecting him to try a sneak attack, but it never came. While the dark dragoness was standing there, the green aura surrounding the dome began to fade.

"My work is done here." Nerona said. She reached into her robes to retrieve a large, purple crystal. "For your sake, we better not meet again, Voden."

Voden looked back at her with a stoic expression. The four doorways burst open and guards flooded in. Nerona tossed the crystal at her feet just as the guards landed on the platform. In an instant, black smoke surrounded Nerona's body. There was just enough time for Seraph to see a frown crease Nerona's face before she vanished into blackness. And all at once, the dragoness was gone.

Voden turned around to help Seraph lift Neptus up onto his feet. Most of his open wounds were sealed, though he seemed light-headed.

"Are you alright, Uncle?" Seraph asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine..." He said through a groan. Neptus turned to glare at Voden. "How could you let her get away?"

"I knew her once." Voden said with a sigh. "Nerona was one of my closest friends at this academy."

A gasp filled the dome. All of the guards glared at Voden, some at the back muttering nasty words. Seraph looked all around, unsure what to think. On the one paw, Voden allowed that dark dragoness to escape. On the other paw...

"Uncle Neptus..." Seraph took a breath. "Are you a member of-?"

Out of nowhere, several other dragon guards burst into the observatory.

"SIR NEPTUS!" One of them shouted.

"Hmm?" Neptus grunted as he looked up. "Someone lower the bridges."

A guard lowered the bridges down as the guard glided across to the platform. Neptus grunted as he turned towards them.

"What is it?" Neptus demanded. "Can't you see I need medical attention?"

"Wait, sir!" The dragon panted. "We bring terrible news!"

"Oh, you can't be serious..." Neptus struggled to stay standing. Seraph stood beside her uncle to keep him standing. "Thank you, dear."

"Of course, Uncle." Seraph turned towards the guard. "What news did you bring?"

"It's Elder Matthew..." The dragon muttered. "He's..."

~~...~~

"DEAD?!" Jules exclaimed.

It was barely an hour later. He and Hontus were woken up when the alarms sounded throughout the Shining Talon. They joined Seraph and Voden when they went to investigate Elder Matthew's bedroom.

The coldness of the room hit them all like a brick wall. The guards tried to light the freezing torches, but they wouldn't stay lit for more than a second. Sir Neptus investigated Matthew's body. The elder was a cold as ice. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head, his maw frozen agape in horror. A large stab wound was on his chest, the surrounding scales caked in his blood.

"Someone murdered him with a sword!" Neptus exclaimed. "How dare they do this to him?! HOW DARE THEY?!" Neptus bellowed so loud the floors shook. The elderly dragon collapsed against the side wall, a hand to his chest. Seraph gasped and struggled to help him stand up again.

Hontus and a few guards investigated the room for clues. The furniture seemed neat and tidy. Not a drop of blood was to be found anywhere other than the body or the floor by his chest. The ink on Matthew's parchments was still wet. There was no sign of any forced entry. The front door had been magically charmed to only allow Matthew and his closest bodyguards in and out. Nothing seemed out of place...

...And then Hontus noticed something about Matthew's neck. The medallion usually found around the elder's neck was gone.

"Look!" Hontus pointed to Matthew's neck. "The medallion's missing!"

"What?" Neptus exclaimed. His eyes went wide upon the realization. "Oh, no..."

"Why would someone murder the Elder of the Shining Talon over a medallion?" Jules wondered, scratching his chin. "And who, for that matter?"

Neptus growled as he stood up. He turned to look around at the four Guardians. "Who was the last one to see Elder Matthew alive?"

"That would be Hontus and I." Jules said, standing up. "Surely you don't think it was US who killed the Elder, do you?"

"No, no." Neptus shook his head. "There's a much more likely suspect, but I fear they've gotten away..."

Neptus told Jules and Hontus about what had happened in the observatory. Once he finished his soldier, the old drake glared at Voden.

"You should be ashamed of yourself. How could you just let that murderer get away?!" Neptus demanded.

"Do you really think I could take her on?" Voden asked. "That dragoness was clearly quite deadly with the shadow element. Not fighting against her was the most likely way to keep your and your niece alive."

"Is that really the only reason you let her go?" Neptus glared. "It had nothing to do with you apparently remembering her as an old friend."

Voden looked back silently at the old dragon. With a snort, the scholar turned and walked out of the room. Seraph watched him leave with a frown.

"Uncle, please forgive my friend." She said.

"His fond ties to matters of dark dragons is unsettling..." Neptus said. "Especially after one of his 'friends' attacked my tower. My Elder has been murdered, Seraph. Possibly by dark dragons. What will happen if it turns out the murder is another of his 'friends'?"

"It doesn't matter." Jules declared. "My companions and I shouldn't be part of the investigation; our primary mission is finding our children. We have to leave first thing in the morning, Sir Neptus."

"Fine by me." Neptus shrugged his shoulders. "Go. All of you get some sleep. I have a lot of work to do."

Jules saluted to the old drake. He glanced down at Matthew's body before turning to leave. Hontus followed after him, but not before he planted a kiss on Seraph's forehead. She nuzzled him back, but didn't follow him out of the room.

"Are you sure you'll be alright, Uncle Neptus?" Seraph asked.

"Oh, I'll be fine." Neptus said. "I'll just have to double-up on the tower's security measures. With Matthew gone, that leaves me to take up the mantle of Elder."

"Well, I wish the best of luck to you." Seraph bowed her head. She turned to walk away, only for Neptus to tap her shoulder.

"Seraph, can I speak to you somewhere more private?" He asked.

"Of course, Uncle." Seraph bowed.

Neptus carefully stepped around Matthew's body and walked towards the back doors. Seraph followed him, trying her best not to look at the body. The two stepped out onto the balcony. The storm had finally weakened. Seraph closed the balcony doors behind herself and turned around.

"Seraph, take this." Neptus whispered, holding a forepaw up to her.

"Huh?" She looked at his forepaw curiously. He held a gold-and-silver coin between two talons. Seraph took it in her own forepaw and held it up to the light. She pursed her lips and squinted at it. "What's this, uncle?"

"Take this to Warfang. It'll bring you everything you need to know about the Order of Culmubrae." Neptus said. He frowned and looked away. "To be honest, I had hoped that you'd never have to find out about the order. But of that husband of yours managed to squeeze Matthew for information, then it's only fair that you go to the source for the truth." Neptus looked Seraph in the eyes. "If anything you learn makes you think less of me, I understand, and I'm sorry."

"Uncle, don't talk like that." Seraph shook her head. "You'll always be family to me."

Neptus nodded yes, but then looked away with a forlorn expression. Seraph frowned down at him.

 _What could the purpose of this coin be?_

~~...~~

An instant after stepping through the portal, Albanion and his companions appeared on the grassy plains somewhere far to the northwest. Albanion's eyes turned towards the sky. The twin moons hung in the sky, sharing their bright light with the world. Albanion was at first hopeful that everything would be alright...

And then his eyes fell upon the storm clouds above Warfang.

"Oh no..." His eyes went wide. "It's starting."

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I'd like to apologize for how late this chapter was. I didn't think I'd be getting back home so late, and with 3000 less words written. I had to work double-time to get this chapter finished up. I'll try my best to get everything back on schedule come next update time.

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	20. Act 2, Chapter 6

The dragon wandered the winding streets of Warfang in the dead of night.

He pulled his hood over his silver face, keeping quiet as he walked amongst the many moles, cheetahs, and dragons. Warfang was never the liveliest city, but even in the darkest of nights, it never slept. It was almost time. After so much time spent planning... after convincing so many hearty souls to put themselves at risk... This would be a night that all of the dragon realms would never forget.

The silver dragon brought a forepaw to his neck. He felt over a jade necklace that hung around his neck.

 _Wish me luck, my love..._ He sighed as he walked forwards.

He came to a stop in the garden overlooking the mighty Dragon Spire. He looked up at the Palace of Kings as dragons flew in and out of it. With a long sigh, the silver dragon stepped forwards to enter inside.

The dragon took the long way up the spire; the grand spiral staircase. It was good exercise, and also gave him time to reminisce on the past. There was a time when he happily walked through the countless halls and chambers without the need of a disguise. Back when he was but a lad, training under the wise Lady Cynder. But that time was long gone. And her legacy was in danger of fading away.

But not this night. The dragon scowled, venom flowing through his veins.

After the long trek up the spire, the silver dragon arrived at his destination; the doorway to the throne room. A pair of guards stood on either side, eyeing the stranger with suspicion.

"Good evening." The silver dragon said, with the voice he "borrowed". He bowed his head and fished through his pockets. "I wish to speak to the Guardians."

"Who are you?" One of the guards demanded.

"Who I am doesn't matter..." The dragon presented a gold-and-silver coin to the guards. "Open the doors."

The guards' eyes went wide when the saw the coin. One of them immediately opened the door and stuck his head in.

"Excuse me, Your Graces...?" The guard asked nervously.

"What is it?!" A voice demanded. The head of an aged red dragon poked through the doors. "We're in a meeting!"

"May I cut in?" The silver dragon asked. He held the coin up for the "Guardian of Fire" to see.

The red dragon saw the coin and glared at it. He pushed the door open to inspect the coin personally. The silver drake took a breath and shut his eyes. Would it work...?

"Ah... come right in." The Guardian said. He swiftly gave the coin back and backed up to push the door completely open. The silver drake nodded and stepped past the guards.

The once humble stone floor was given a tacky golden sheen. All of the walls were just as gaudy; golden panels replaced the old runes the silver drake remembered. The ceiling bore the blasphemous image of a golden dragon killing a black dragoness. The only things still the same were the windows revealing the night sky. Far to the north, the drake could still see the twin moons with their ominous glow.

"My fellow Guardians..." The red dragon said to the room. Three other dragons sat atop golden cushions about the room. They looked in his direction when he spoke. "There is a visitor here to speak with us."

As the doors slammed behind him, the silver dragon looked about at the four Guardians as they all looked at him.

 _Fat. Pompous. Elderly. Brittle-boned..._ The silver dragon internally snarled. _These buffoons are what pass as Guardians? Have they ever even SEEN a battlefield?_

The silver dragon held up his coin for all to see.

"Tamquam longus tamquam Tenebra tamen accola in..." Oh how those words burned his tongue.

The four Guardians drew similar coins and spoke in unison.

"...Lux voluntas numquam quiesco."

"It is an honor to meet with dragons of such high rank in our order." The silver dragon bowed his head. "If my memory doesn't fail me, you are Apellion of Fire, Odynne of Lightning, Aecor of Ice, and Motem of Earth."

"Ah pleasure to make your acquaintance." Odynne chuckled. "Might we know your name?"

"Oh, I wouldn't burden you with the remembering the name of a poor sinner." The silver dragon bowed his head. "If you don't mind me asking, my Guardians, where is his grace, Pappas Richteriel?"

"The Pappas had a busy day today aiding the needy." Aecor said. "So he's turned in early for the night."

 _Oh, of course he would..._ The dragon hissed internally. He cleared his throat and spoke aloud. "It's a shame I couldn't meet him tonight. I have just recently inherited my own coin from the elder of the local chapter of the Order. And I came here to pay my due respects."

"Well, we're always happy to welcome a fellow brother into the fold." Apellion said as he finally sat down on his own cushion.

"Good to hear." The silver dragon stood upright. "My Guardians, if I may be so bold, one of the greatest stories I've heard about the heyday of the Order of Culmubrae is the one about their greatest victory; the destruction of the last stronghold of dark dragons."

"Ah, yes. The fall of The Hive." Motem scratched his chin. "That was a glorious event for the fate of all light dragons."

"If it isn't too much trouble for you, my Guardians..." The silver dragon stepped forwards and sat back on his haunches. "Could you recall the tale of how it was accomplished?"

"Why not?" Odynne laughed. "We're not too busy at the moment." The other Guardians nodded in agreement.

 _Do they ever accomplish anything at all?_ The silver dragon wondered with anger.

"I'll begin the tale." Apellion cleared his throat. "For the longest time, our order has scoured the dragon realms, seeking out dark dragons to purge from our glorious homeland. But as the years went by, the dark dragons seemed to elude us. No sign had been seen of the black dragon king, no matter how hard we looked or how discreetly we sneaked."

"But then there came a day, six years ago, when Richteriel called us together." Odynne said. "Our Grace revealed that there was a secret floating city hidden in the clouds. The final safe haven of the dark dragon race. They had been hiding amongst our number somehow, with disguises that we couldn't pierce."

"But Pappas Richteriel was a genius." Motem flapped his wings joyfully. "He came upon one of the secret pathways that dark dragons used to travel in and out of their stronghold... and he sent an army under his banner to CLEANSE it!"

All of the Guardians burst into fits of laughter. Pulses of anger and rage flooded through the silver dragon's being, though his face was silent and still. He took several deep, long breaths to keep himself under control.

Once the Guardians had calmed down, Aecor spoke up.

"By morning, the dark dragon city known as 'The Hive' was brought low. The cursed bloodline of black dragons was finally exterminated. The few dark dragons that survived were driven out of the dragon realms for good. Though we lost a number of our own warriors in the destruction of the crossfire, their sacrifice wasn't in vain. They were acceptable losses for the greater good."

Acceptable losses. That nearly drove the silver dragon over the edge.

"So, that's where the story ends, then?" He asked. "Did any of you play a part, my Guardians?"

"Oh, of course not." Motem shook his head. "It was our job as Guardians to stay here and manage our glorious Warfang, as well as maintain the Order."

"You say that as if Richteriel was absent." The silver drake said.

"He was off managing the assault on the dark dragon stronghold." Aecor fluttered his wing. "And thank the ancestors for that. I'm not sure if we could handle such a deadly battle on the front lines."

"I see..." The silver dragon stood up. He took a deep breath. "So, that's it then... You're all cowards."

"Excuse me?" Apellion demanded.

All at once, the silver dragon's eyes turned pure golden. He opened his maw, unleashing a blast of purple flames at Motem. The other Guardians gasped as their companion fell to the floor, twitching and howling.

"What have you done?!" Aecor screamed.

The silver dragon lifted his left forepaw into the air, which glowed with a purple aura. He drove his talons into Motem's eyes, burning them out of his skull. The "Guardian" screamed in agony, steam rising from his head. Before long, Motem's body went limp and collapsed onto the floor. The silver dragon lifted his forepaw away, wiping the repugnant gunk from his talons.

Just then, the silver dragon heard a burst of lightning flying towards him from behind. He turned his head in time to see a lightning hurtling towards his face. But in the blink of his eyes, a barrier of purple magic surrounded the silver drake's body. The yellow lightning could only jolt about the surface of the barrier before it died away.

"What?!" Odynne exclaimed. "Impossible!"

"You call that lightning?" The silver drake asked, his voice growing deeper.

With a scowl, the dragon pointed his forepaws at the "Guardian" and unleashed a torrent of purple bolts of electricity. The other Guardians reeled back in horror as Odynne was lifted into the air, his scales boiling and burning. The silver dragon charged up purple energy, before forcing it through his forepaw. Odynne was hurtling through the skylight, shattering the glass to pieces. Odynne was cut to ribbons as he was sent flying out of view.

Aecor and Apellion fell off their cushions in fear. They backed up against the far wall as the silver dragon glared at them.

"Wh-Who are you?!" Aecor demanded. "What do you want from us?!"

"The very fact that you've set foot here is a crime." The dragon said. He pulled back his hood and stepped towards them.

Apellion tried to defend himself with a fireball, but it dissolved against the silver dragon's barrier. The silver dragon stepped closer to them, tearing his robes from his body.

"I'll show you EXACTLY who I am." He scowled.

The dragon created an orb of darkness in his forepaw, which he smashed into the ground. The darkness flooded across the floor, engulfing everything golden. The two "Guardians" huddled together as the entire chamber became bitch black. Shreds of moonlight spilled through the shattered glass of the room. The golden eyes of the dragon glared at the "Guardians" through the darkness.

The dragon stepped forwards into the moonlight. His underbelly was as red as blood. His mane was long and the color of silver. A beard grew upon his chin. Six powerful horns crowned his head. Two large glyphs glowed upon his upper arms; two large hourglasses. And his scales were midnight black.

"Look well, 'Guardians'." The dragon spoke. "I am King of the night. I am the master of darkness. I am... BANE."

Bane unfolded his wings as if he were about to fly. Instead, he created an aura of purple around his body and levitated into the air. He held his right forepaw out, and a mass of darkness appeared around it. When it faded, Bane was holding a large sword in his grip. The sword's blade was silver, and decorated with gold patterns. The hilt was pitch black, with the image of an hourglass etched into each side. A large garnet was embedded in the pommel.

Bane clasped his forepaws around the hilt, and the sword became engulfed in purple flames. He then spread his forepaws apart, and the sword began floating in the air. Bane's eyes focused on the sword, and it swung about seemingly of its own free will. Before either "Guardian" could react, the sword pointed towards Apellion and charged forwards. Apellion was pinned to the wall by his neck. He fumbled helplessly with the burning blade as he choked on his own blood. And soon, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell limp.

Aecor gasped in horror. He tried to fly up through the broken skyline, only for Bane to smack him out of the air. The "Guardian" of Ice crashed into the floor with a howl, but he quickly rolled up to look up at Bane.

"Please, let me live!" He begged. "I had no hand in The Hive's destruction!"

"Yet you had a hand in the deaths of countless dark dragons regardless." Bane hissed. His sword pulled itself free from Apellion's body, letting it fall to the floor. The sword floated over to Bane's side.

"Have mercy!" Aecor pleased.

"Mercy?" Bane's eyes narrowed. "Did your army show mercy to my kind? You've desecrated my ancestral home, and laid waste to all the monuments of Lady Cynder!" Bane grabbed Aecor's neck and lifted him into the air. "You've destroyed my family!"

"Please..." Aecor whimpered.

Bane glanced towards his floating sword, which quickly slashed in an arc around his body. Aecor's head fell from his body, and Bane tossed the "Guardian" to the floor.

Bane heard the doors being pulled open. He turned around to see light flood into the throne room. Several guards had come to investigate the noise, and they all gasped in horror at the sight of the black dragon and corpses.

Amid the sounds of alarm, Bane landed with all paws on the floor. His sword faded away in a burst of purple flames. His eyes glowed a bright white light, and a pool of dark energy emerged from his body. The entire floor was soon covered in darkness. And out of the darkness, monsters began to crawl out. Hisses and shrieks filled the area as Bane's minions, the crepsculi, emerged from hiding.

"Deal with anyone who tries to take this throne room." Bane commanded.

The monsters growled with fury and leaped forwards. The hallway became filled with bursts of magic and shouts of anger. Bane lifted himself back into the air and through the skyline.

A short moment later, Bane came to a landing on the roof of the Palace of Kings. He briefly looked around at the city of Warfang. Everything was still as quiet and calm as ever. Nobody was aware of the struggle going on in the throne room. Time to make his move. Bane lifted a forepaw up to the night sky. An orb of darkness materialized in his palm... when he sensed a massive boulder hurtling towards him.

Bane quickly swung around to face the boulder. It was the size of a building and travelling at the speed of sound. The black dragon quickly surrounded himself with his barrier. He was just barely in time; while the boulder was blown to pieces, Bane was still sent flying over the side of the palace.

"BLACK DRAGON!" The voice of Richteriel roared.

Bane quickly righted himself and flew back into the sky. Looking around, he soon spotted the Pappas standing atop a floating island up above. Bane snarled.

"So you've come out of hiding, have you?" Richteriel snapped. "I KNEW you'd be back, Black King."

Bane snarled and flew up to be even with the Pappas.

"Your judgment day has come, traitor!" Bane hissed. "You'll pay for what you did to my father!"

"Your father?" Richteriel asked. He paused for a moment. But then he snickered. And that snickered gave way to a fit of laughter. "Oh, I see now! You are no king!"

Bane snarled. He surrounded himself with cackling purple lightning. Richteriel merely chuckled as he floated closer.

"Don't you dare speak to me that way." The black dragon snarled. He filled his forepaws with energy.

"I may have lost the use of my eyes, but **you're** the one who's blind." Richteriel said as he hovered above Bane. "I'll you've managed to do is murder a few figureheads. Do you think that will avenge King Urobos?"

Bane began to say something, but then he quieted himself. The black dragon concentrated his gaze on the sky. Amongst the stars, a black object quietly crept over Warfang. That was the signal to strength the aura around Bane's body. As his magic grew more potent, Richteriel sneered. The old drake created a shield of green magic around himself.

"Come, fight me." Richteriel said, pounding his floating island with his forepaws. "Slay this old dragon, to make yourself 'feel better'."

Bane put his forepaws before himself and created a massive orb of darkness. Using all of his might, Bane sent the orb hurtling into the sky. Richteriel solidified his barrier into stone, expecting an attack. But instead the orb flew past Richteriel and high into the sky.

The higher the orb got, the slower its pace became. It kept travelling until it collided with the black object among the stars. There was an explosion, followed by pounding thunder. The blackness spread through the sky, blocking out the stars with dark storm-clouds. And from the clouds came an icy cold rain.

Richteriel lowered his earthy barrier when he heard the storm. He looked all around, his muzzle twitching as raindrops landed on it.

"What is this?" Richteriel asked. "What did you-?"

He put his barrier back up when Bane sent a blast of purple fire his way. But rather than come at him, Bane turned and flew off over the city.

Down below, scores of citizens stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sudden storm. While most of the dragons were shocked and confused, a multitude of them stopped in their tracks. All at once, they cast away their Shrouds of Darkness and sprang into action.

The invasion had begun.

~~...~~

Among the army of dark dragons, one stood forwards to command them. The one-eyed dragon known as Grail gave a powerful roar. When he saw the storm appear over Warfang, he growled with a grin and removed his shroud. He had several dozen of his finest warriors waiting in an alleyway behind the Dragon Spire. Grail's forepaws shook the ground as he filled them with the purple energy known as Convexity. All of the dark dragons in Grail's battalion struck the ground as well, purple energy pooling around them. Each carried their own shard of Convexity on necklaces beneath their robes.

Grail called upon dark energy, which pooled out from his paws and onto the street. One by one, the warriors behind him did the same. A great pool of black-and-purple energy began to flood through the streets. And from that flood, came the countless red eyes of the crepsculi.

Grail marched forwards out of the alleyway, his battalion marching behind him. The monsters hissed and shrieked as they followed behind the dark dragons.

"Defeat anyone who stands before us!" The General exclaimed to his squadron. "Take as many prisoners as you can, and kill those who put up too strong a fight!"

As Grail led the battalion down the street, he spotted a squadron of light dragon soldiers approaching fro the north. Grail smirked with confidence as he signaled for his soldiers to charge. The dark dragons rushed forwards, their crepsculi flying into battle. Grail rushed after them, cackling in delight. He was confident that he was strong enough to forego such a magical boost. But orders were orders, and his orders were to use Convexity to take the city. And as he tore the wings from the backs of his enemies, that confidence proved valid.

"For honor and glory!" The General howled. His soldiers all roared in unison...

~~...~~

Bane's body pulsated with the Convexity as he flew with a burst of wind to the outer edges of the limits of Warfang. He created an orb of darkness and purple lightning in his maw. The black king unleashed the attack upon the outer walls of the edge of the city. As soon as the orb struck the inner side of the wall, an aura of darkness exploded into existence. The darkness spread out faster than the eye could follow. Many civilians struggled to flee to get out of the way as the wave of black energy engulfed the inner wall.

Hundreds of glowing red eyes appeared all along the dark barrier. Countless crepsculi came crawling out of the darkness and spilled out onto the streets. Bane could hear a chorus of hisses rising up from all edges of Warfang. Between the walls of darkness and the storm clouds, the only light left in the city came from the countless streetlamps, lanterns and torches. The city was trapped in an impenetrable dome of darkness.

High above Warfang, the clouds began to spread apart at the center of the city. For a brief moment, moonlight shined back down over the Palace of Kings. But the light was quickly blocked off as a great, black fortress floated down from the heavens. The fortress lowered itself down until it was just above the Dragon Spire, hovering weightlessly. The storm-clouds quickly sealed up in the fortress's wake, trapping the city in darkness once again.

Bane flew up to the fortress, which he dubbed The Nexus. As he came to a landing in the courtyard, dark dragons spilled out of the halls and took to the skies. Bane turned around and watch his army flying down into Warfang. Blasts of purple magic soon exploded throughout the streets. Feint cries of war reached Bane's ear frills.

Bane silently stood watch as his legion did battle with the light dragons. He scanned the skies for signs of Richteriel. While the "Guardians" were akin to jesters, the Pappas himself would be a formidable foe. That's why Bane didn't fight him when he had the chance. That... and he needed the Pappas **alive**. For the time being, at least. No matter where Bane looked, he saw no sign of Richteriel. Perhaps the Pappas had fled from Warfang. Or perhaps he went into hiding. For now, it didn't matter.

Bane poured magic into his throat. After taking a deep breath, he used Convexity to spread his voice throughout the entirety of Warfang:

"People of Warfang, your Guardians are dead. Pappas Richteriel has disappeared. Warfang now belongs to me, King Bane! All light dragons who don't surrender will be slain. To all non-dragon civilians, I say this: My battle is not with you. Stand aside, and you will be spared. If you fight, you'll be treated like any other enemy. And if ANY of you seek to fight my directly, come. I await your arrival upon The Nexus!"

Truth be told, Bane would have preferred a quick and easy surrender. But sure enough, a number of light dragons flew up into the sky with the intent of killing him. With a sigh, the black king took to the skies and charged at the mob.

Bane attacked the nearest dragons he saw with a mighty burst of purple lightning. They were sent falling to the ground, twitching uncontrollably. Three more dragon attempted to attack bane from behind. So he summoned his sword in a burst of flame and sent it spinning about him at high speed. Their wings were sliced to pieces and they too were sent hurtling down below.

Several more dragons attempted to strike Bane down with blasts of fire, ice and lightning all at once. Bane dodged out of the way with a quick teleportation, and he came down atop them with the floating sword. Again and again, he cut their wings from their bodies, sending them falling from the sky.

Before Bane had time to catch his breath, more and more light dragons came at him. And so he dispatched them. And more light dragons came at him. And he dispatched them. Again and again, they just kept coming. So much suffering. So many screams of agony as their lives were thrown away. They just wouldn't give up. They die, and their families suffer for them.

It wasn't long before Bane put the last warrior out of his misery. The black dragon now looked down at the pile of bodies he left in his wake. A brutal, bloody end to the battle. And another sin to add to Bane's list.

~~...~~

"Fight on, my brothers!" Grail roared. "Fight on, in the name of all we've lost!"

The General took a deep breath before spitting several glowing red orbs from his maw. The ghastly orbs went out in all directions, aiming for a crowd of light dragons. The orbs crashed into Grail's enemies, paralyzing them. The light dragons struggled to get out of the way in time before the orbs exploded with a concussive force. The enemy was knocked onto the ground, leaving them exposed for the crepsculi. The black monsters quickly swarmed over the enemy, clawing and biting relentlessly. Screams of agony rose up into the sky. But Grail's rousing voice overpowered them.

"Fight on, for the Poison dragons of Faeshrine!" Grail howled.

Two other battalions of light dragons quickly approached from the west and south. Grail unleashed several more of his paralyzing blasts, but many of the lightning dragons tore through them. But though the light dragons were many, there weren't enough to overpower the swarm of crepsculi that came from the out walls. The light dragons were forced to divide their attention between Grail's battalion and the countless undead beasts. This gave the battalion time to gain ground on their march towards the Dragon Spire. They swarmed down the streets, taking out lampposts to blind the eyes of the enemy. Thanks to their night-vision, the dark dragons had the upper paw.

"Fight on, for the Wind dragons of Aeroshard!"

Boulders began to rain down from the heights of the Dragon Spire. They crashed down like a terrible hail, scattering the battalion in all directions. Grail snarled as he narrowly dodged out of the way of a particularly large boulder.

"Wind dragons, initiate retaliation!" The General snarled.

The wind dragons took to the skies in an instant. With their magic amplified by Convexity, they summoned cyclones to blow all the boulders off-course. Those boulders were sent colliding into the many towers and spires that decorated the inner section of the city. Those same wind dragons went charging after the earth dragons that unleashed the boulders in the first place. It wasn't long before those earth dragons were crushed by their own boulders.

"Fight on, for the Shadow dragons of Erebus!"

Most of the cheetahs, moles, wolves, and other bipedal races stayed shut into their homes. Families cowered together in their bedrooms. Most didn't even dare to look out their windows. But there will still a few foolish souls who took up arms to fight against the dark army. Some of them were mere civilians, while a few of them were trained soldiers and guards.

Grail watched as a group of roughly a dozen cheetahs marched towards Grail's battalion. The General sighed and had his soldiers come to a stop.

"All of you, go home." Grail ordered. "This isn't your battle."

"Yes it is!" A cheetah snapped. "You're invading our home, and killing our friends!"

"Don't make me get physical with you bipedal ones." Grail sneered. The crowd responded by pointing their weapons towards Grail's battalion. The General sighed and shook his head. "Take them prisoner, and try not to kill them."

Grail could tell from his soldiers' eyes that none of them wanted to harm the non-dragons. But orders are orders, and they swiftly overcame the civilians. Grail sighed and resumed his march towards the Dragon Spire.

"Fight on, for the Fear dragons of Avalar!"

The battalion roamed from street to street as they made their way to the Dragon Spire. Fueled by Convexity and surrounded by Crepsculi, Grail knew that their victory was inevitable. Squadron by squadron, the light dragons fell before their might. The ones that surrendered were taken prisoner and forcibly muzzled, to stop them from using magic.

"Pappas Richteriel... " One fire dragon weakly said as he held his foreleg together. "...Where are you?"

~~...~~

The battle for Warfang raged on for hours. Over time, the resistance against Bane's legion dwindled, until all hope was lost. Without their leader, the light dragons had no choice but to surrender. Warfang now belong to King Bane.

With the battle finally over, Bane took a walk down one of the many streets. He watched as his soldiers patrolled through the city. A number of them used shards of Convexity to summon up crepsculi from the darkness. They made for terrifying, if effective, guard dogs. Light dragons were forced into wearing magic-repelling muzzles to keep them from resisting again.

Other dark dragons set to work repairing damage done to the various buildings about the city. Bane sighed as he looked about at the devastation. Windows were smashed. Fires were started. Roads were cracked and torn. The battle was an ugly thing. But at least now the damage could be fixed.

As Bane made his rounds, he spotted a few of his soldiers trying to break down a magically-reinforced door. As Bane approached, his men stepped out of the way.

"Hail, Your Majesty." They said, bowing down. Bane waved them off with a wing and looked up at the sign above the door.

 _A hatchery._ He took a breath. _One of several, no doubt._

After examining the door for a moment, Bane used his Convexity to tear it from the hinges. Bane then walked inside, followed by several soldiers. Many small eggs were gathered in an incubator at the far side of the room. On the other side, hatchlings and cubs were cowering in a corner. A single nursemaid, an ice dragoness, was standing in front of them. She snarled when she saw Bane, and used her wings to shield the younglings from view.

Bane frowned upon the nursemaid. Just by looking into her determined eyes, he knew she would lay down her life to defend the younglings. Bane took several steps forwards.

"Stand down." He commanded.

The dragoness replied by sending several ice blasts his way. Bane merely sighed and used his magic to melt the ice before it even got close. With a single blast of earth, he slammed the dragoness against the wall. The nursemaid soon fell over onto the floor. She was only knocked out; Bane made sure of that.

Bane turned his eyes to the cowering younglings. Their whimpers and sniffles filled the chamber. One of Bane's soldiers stepped up to his left flank.

"What shall we do with them, my lord?" He asked.

"Bring me one of the crystals." Bane ordered.

It wasn't long before Bane held a convexity crystal in his forepaw. Bane glanced between the younglings and the eggs. He concentrated on the crystal, which glowed with a black-and-purple aura. His eyes glowed a bright white, and he thrust the crystal onto the floor. It exploded into many shards, which all melted into black-and-purple energy. The flooded throughout the room, bathing the eggs and the younglings. The younglings cried out in fear, and suddenly went silent.

The dark dragon soldiers looked on uneasily. Bane looked about to make sure all of the young dragons were swamped in the dark magic. Even the unconscious nursemaid was overtaken by the energy. It was better than leaving her for dead.

Once Bane's eyes returned to normal, the mass of dark energy vanished. All of the eggs' outer shells had turned to a dark grey color. The hides of the many younglings had changed as well; they were tinted a deep darker shade than before. The nursemaid had been changed to a dark blue shade. A feint, black aura surrounded all of the formerly-light dragons.

Bane nodded in approval. He stepped back to allow his soldiers a view of what he had done. They all gasped in amazement.

"We now have more dark dragons in our fold." Bane declared.

"Hail, King Bane!" The soldiers declared. "Hail, the Dark Master!"

"Bring the eggs to the Palace of Kings." Bane ordered. "The younglings shall go to The Nexus."

"What about her?" A soldier pointed towards the nursemaid.

Bane sighed. "She shall go to The Nexus as well. But keep her sedated, until further notice."

"Yes, Sir!" The soldiers shouted and saluted. They set to work gathering up the eggs and the younglings. Bane took one more look around before continuing his trek throughout Warfang.

Bane spent an hour or so lending a paw to any of his battalions that fought against minor pockets of resistance. He spared as many lives as he could get away with. But alas, more death was always inevitable. Whenever eggs and/or younglings were found, he transformed them with his dark magic.

When Bane grew tired of his trek throughout Warfang, he decided to return to the Dragon Spire. He arrived to discover a crowd of light dragon scholars and acolytes being held in the courtyard. They were all in chains and their jaws were muzzled. General Grail stood at the base of the Dragon Spire. When Bane came to a landing, Grail saluted with pride.

"Hail, King Bane!" Grail declared.

"Greetings, Grail." Bane nodded. His eyes studied the faces of the scholars. "Is this all of the scholars?"

"They declared themselves non-combatants and surrendered immediately." Grail said. "I decided to wait to see what you'd want done with them."

"I see..." Bane looked over the scholars once again. They were all clearly afraid. Bane snorted and looked away. "Put them all under a thorough investigation. Who knows how many of them are secretly part of the Order."

"As you command, Your Highness." Grail bowed. "In other news, the Dragon Spire and the palace are yours, my lord."

"Good" Bane nodded. "You've done well, Grail."

"What do you want done with the many bodies of fallen dragons, Your Highness?"

"If they're of our kind, make sure they get the proper burials they deserve. If they're light dragons, burn them to ashes and scatter them to the winds."

"As you command, King Bane." Grail bowed again.

Bane spread his wings to fly up to The Nexus. After delegating the king's orders, Grail followed after him.

"Has there been any word from the other Deep Shadows?" Bane asked.

"None yet, Your Highness." Grail said.

"Damn..." Bane snarled. "Still no word about Cyrus. And not even a status report on the defeat of other high-ranking members of Culmubrae."

"Give them time, my lord." Grail replied, flapping to keep up with the king.

"Time? We don't have time." Bane snapped. "Richteriel has disappeared. He could be lurking anywhere in the city. We must find him and keep him detained!"

"Why not just kill him outright, sire?" Grail asked.

"And make him a martyr?" Bane asked angrily. "The last thing I want is for Richteriel to die a hero. Once the world has learned of his crimes against the dark dragon race, THEN I'll kill him."

"As you command, my liege." The General bowed his head.

A short while later, Bane and Grail came to a landing in the courtyard of The Nexus. Many dark dragons were rushing in and out of the fortress. Some were flying up from Warfang, carrying young dragons on their backs. They had all been charmed to fall into slumber, to stop them from struggling.

Bane sighed as he watched them bring the children into the fortress. It was best that they slept, to be sure. But part of him was still reluctant to go through with this part. He looked away and shut his eyes, trying to focus his mind.

Bane decided to walk forwards along the courtyard, Grail following behind him. As Bane approached the center of the courtyard, he sensed something approaching. A second later, a geyser of black energy erupted behind him. The king backed up, getting on his guard. Grail snarled and spread out his wings. A female dragon appeared within the geyser as the energy faded into mist. Bane took a sigh of relief when he saw the familiar face of Nerona.

"Humph." Grail scrunched up his muzzle. "Welcome home, Nerona."

The dragoness took a few steps forwards, struggling to keep from collapsing. She sat back on her haunches and bowed her head.

"Good evening, Your Highness." Nerona said between pants.

"What are you doing here, Nerona?" Bane demanded. "You were supposed to stay behind in the remains of that academy after I _liberated_ a coin of the order."

"My apologies, my liege." Nerona stood up. "Things took an unexpected turn, and I had no choice but to flee back to the fortress."

"Elaborate." The king demanded.

Nerona spent a few moments recounting a tale of how she was interrogating the dragon known as Neptus, and her run-in with an old friend of hers. Grail snorted and fluttered his wings as she finished her story.

"You said this scholar's name was Voden?" Grail asked. "And you would abandon your mission for him?"

"I DIDN'T abandon the mission!" Nerona snapped. "All twelve of our mystics are still at their post in the academy! I had to improvise to keep from getting captured!"

"And don't you think you could have thought of a way to follow your orders?" Grail demanded.

"Oh, stuff it, you one-eyed ape amalgamation!" Nerona hissed. "If anything, that scholar bought me time to escape!"

"Oh, enough." Bane snapped. Grail and Nerona immediately stopped arguing. Bane shut his eyes and shook his head in annoyance. Those two had been at each other's throats for years ever since...

"Whatever the case, I'm glad you're here now, Nerona." The king said.

"Sire?" Nerona asked curiously.

"Now that you're back, you can accompany us to the war room." Bane said. "I could always use your advice on strategies for the war effort."

"Ah, of course." Nerona bowed her head. "As you wish, Your Highness."

Bane heard Grail rumble in his throat, so turned his head and glared. "Is there a problem, General Grail?"

Grail snorted and rolled his eye. "Of course not, my liege."

"Lord Baneth!" A pair of withered old voices exclaimed.

Bane turned his head towards the entrance to the fortress. Argos and Icarox, the twin mystics, stepped slowly out of the doors. The aged old dragons sat down on their haunches as the king walked towards them. Bane felt uneasy, but it wasn't quite fear. The twins had served the dark dragon monarchy for many years, ever since the reign of Bane's grandfather.

Bane approached the twins and bowed his head. "Good evening Argos, Icarox. The first step of my plan has been completed."

"Yes, we know." Argos said as he and his sister walked down the steps. "We monitored the invasion of Warfang..."

"...From the inner shrine." Icarox finished. "Are you satisfied with the price that was paid?"

"There was only minimal destruction done to the city." Bane said. "And I made sure as few lives were lost as possible."

Argos and Icarox frowned. Then glanced at each other, before shaking their heads.

"Are you absolutely sure what you've done was for the greater good, Baneth?" Icarox asked.

"I've done what needs to be done." The king insisted. "And I've told you twice already; as I have become the bane of the existence of the light dragon race, thus I shall take on the name of Bane."

"We choose to address you by your true name, my liege." Icarox frowned. "King Urobos, may he rest in peace, wouldn't want you to throw away your heritage."

Bane glared. "With all due respect, your graces, I've grown quite tired of this argument. All my subjects are to refer to me as Bane. Nothing more."

Argos sighed. He looked out at the storm-clouds that surrounded Warfang, then back at the king.

"For better or worse, Lord..." The old drake sighed, "...Bane, your work has been completed."

"No." Bane stamped his paws. "This was but the first step towards my plans."

"What will you do now, then, Lord... Bane?" Icarox asked. "Will you retire for the night?"

"No. I must make for the war room." Bane stepped around the old dragons to venture into the fortress. "Nerona, Grail, follow me." pushed the doors of the fortress open and strode inside.

"What of the children, my liege?" Icarox asked.

"Tend to them as you see fit." Bane ordered. "Make sure they're comfortable for their prolonged slumber."

"As you command, Lord... Bane" Argos and Icarox spoke in unison again, but they faltered at the last word. They seemed pained to refer to the king by his assumed name. But it didn't matter. The black king had work to do.

~~...~~

Bane's personal study in the fortress had been renovated to make room for a larger table. Bane, Grail and Nerona stood around the outer edges of the table, upon which a large map of the dragon realms was arranged. Nine large circles were placed on various parts of the map, representing each of the nine dragon cities. Many smaller circles represented all of the smaller villages, towns and strongholds scattered about the continents.

Bane placed a small token that resembled The Nexus atop the circle showing Warfang.

"We have battalions disguised as nomads stationed in various villages." Grail said. He placed down many tokens that represented the army of darkness. "Here... here... and here."

"Don't forget the academy." Nerona moved a few of the tokens.

"But of course..." Grail nodded. He picked up a few of the larger tokens and moved them towards the edges of other dragon cities. "We can send a few battalions to infiltrate other cities on the northern continent. First Avalar, and then Faeshrine."

Bane's eyes widened. He took the token from Faeshrine and pushed it back to Warfang.

"No!" He exclaimed."

"My liege?" Grail looked at Bane curiously. "What's the problem?'

The black cleared his throat. "I believe that we should focus on strengthening defenses around Warfang immediately. We never know when the Order's remaining leaders will send their dragons to try to take back Warfang."

"Are you sure, Your Highness?" Grail asked. "I'd never question your judgment, but I believe that we should retake the Mushroom Forest as soon as we can. The forests are an invaluable recourse, both to the east and west."

"I'm sure, Grail." Bane nodded. "We'll... deal with Faeshrine on another day. For now, we must make sure our forces in the villages remain hidden until the day of the full-scale invasion comes."

"As you wish, My liege." Grail nodded. Nerona smirked, but said nothing. She alone knew what Bane planned for the mushroom forest. The black king picked up various tokens and began planning out where battalions would be sent next...

When he heard someone racing down the hallway. Grail and Nerona noticed as well, as they perked up and looked towards doors. They burst open, and a dragoness in Deep Shadow robes came running through.

"My liege!" Rose exclaimed. The dark-blue dragoness came to a stop and struggled to catch her breath.

"Rose?" Nerona glared.

"Rose." Bane said with a sigh.

Rose was a dragoness who became a Deep Shadow around the same time as Aegis and Lilith. She had been on a recon assignment to the south for two weeks.

"Rose, what are you doing here?" The black king demanded.

Rose ran to the table, nearly tripping over herself in her haste. She then came to a stop, slamming into the table and shoving all the tokens over. Nerona snarled and set to work setting them up again.

"My liege..." Rose struggled to catch her breath. "Forgive me, but..."

"Rose, what's gotten into you?" Bane demanded.

"My liege, I..." Rose fell back onto her haunches. "I returned to The Nexus as soon as I could. I bring the most urgent news."

"Eh?" Grail raised an eye ridge. "It had better be important, to interrupt this war meeting."

Rose ignored Grail and focused on Bane. "My liege, I... I've found your son."

Bane froze in place, his eyes going wide. Grail and Nerona gasped in surprise.

"Wonderful!" Grail declared. He slammed his forepaws on the table, knocking the tokens over again. "Prince Cyrus has been brought home! This calls for a celebration!"

"Right..." Nerona said through gritted fangs as she picked the tokens up again.

"Wait, no." Rose shook her head. "It's not Prince Cyrus."

"What?" The General's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean it's not Cyrus?!"

"I'm not sure how to put this..." Rose looked towards the king, who was still stuck in place. "My liege?"

Bane inhaled and exhaled. He had a feeling who Rose was about to talk about. It reminded him of what Albanion and his sect told him some time ago. The king stood up from the table, looking away from Rose.

"There's work to be done below." Bane said. He turned to walk towards the doorway. "Nerona, come along."

"Sire?" Grail asked in surprise.

"My liege, wait!" Rose exclaimed. "Don't you want to hear about-?"

"Whatever you're about to tell me, it can wait." The king snapped. "Nerona, we're heading for the library in the Dragon Spire."

"Yes, my liege." Nerona bowed and followed after Bane.

"But, Your Highness..." Rose spoke up.

"ENOUGH." Bane snarled. "Now is not the time to be worrying about my son." He turned to glare at Rose. "If he's here, fine. See to it that he's kept under surveillance until I go to see to him personally. For now, I have work to do. The face of the dark dragons rests on my shoulders."

Rose's features drooped. She sighed and looked away from him. "As you command, my liege."

Bane strode out of the war room, Nerona following behind. Nerona turned around briefly to smirk at the others, before slamming the doors shut.

~~...~~

Bane and Nerona made their way through the halls of the newly liberated Dragon Spire. The king's servants had wasted no time in renovating it. All statues of the "Guardians" were smashed to pieces. Any portraits of light dragons were torn down and burned. Various classrooms had been located, but work had yet to begin on them. It was no matter; young dark dragons wouldn't need any education until after Bane had finished with his plans.

As the black king made his rounds, he came upon several of his followers. Many of them fell silent at his approach. A few of them saluted when the king nodded at him, but most refused to look him in the eyes. Bane couldn't help but become uneasy.

"What has come over them?" Bane wondered.

"Don't worry about that, Sire." Nerona bowed her head as she walked beside him. "They are merely overcome with repairing all the damage that the Order of Culmubrae dealt to your home."

"Hmmm... are you certain of that, Nerona?"

"Of course!" Nerona declared. "They won't feel worthy of smiling until after they've restored your heritage!" She looked across at a pair of wind dragons as they plastered a wall. "Isn't that RIGHT?!"

The wind dragons gasped and bowed their heads towards Bane. They let loose a string of confirmations and apologies. Bane merely rolled his eyes and continued on his way.

Despite his uneasy feelings, Bane's anger had all but subsided. With one step of his plan done, he could now continue onto the next part; the waiting game. Time must still pass before the Night of Eternal Darkness began, so he had time to make sure the rest of his work was ready. And that work would take place in his new study; the Dragon Spire's library.

Bane opened the door and looked around inside. The library was a large section in the middle part of the Dragon Spire. It was composed of several floors, most of which were exposed so that a dragon could fly up to them. There was also a large staircase so cheetahs and moles could access the upper floors. Each floor had a large label, naming it as one of several fields of study. The entire left side of the library opened up to the ceiling high above, thus making it seem like a single, gigantic room

Bane sighed as he looked around the library. "Of all the rooms the Order tore apart... they at least had some decency to leave the library intact."

Nerona quietly locked the doors before stepping up beside him. "Shall we set to work, sire?"

"Indeed."

Bane and Nerona spent the next couple of hours searching for any information they could find on the shadow dragons. Much to the king's surprise, he had found a surprising amount of books on the subject of dark dragons. From what Bane's spies had informed him, many of the villages throughout the northern continent had been purged on information relating to Lady Cynder and the dark dragons. And yet here he was in the largest library under the Order's control, with books on the very subject.

 _They must have been trying to limit the spread of knowledge for their own gain,_ Bane sneered. _Or perhaps they kept some knowledge alive as a way to combat my people. Whatever the case, damn them all._

The black king grabbed as many books as he could carry and brought them to the far side of the library. He set the books on a table beside a fireplace.

"Shall I help you in your search through the books, Sire?" Nerona asked.

"No, I can handle the rest on my own." Bane said. "Take your leave, and..." The king thought for a moment. "Go check up on my son."

Nerona's smile faded. "As you command, Your Highness."

The dragoness turned and made for the exit.

Bane worked to straighten up his table so he could get to work. But before he cracked open a tome, he turned to look up at the large mural that hung over the fireplace. A sneer creased his muzzle.

It was a portrait of a purple dragon, who once ruled over all of the dragon realms. The dragon had gold-colored, lightning-shaped horns that stood proudly atop his head. His eyes were a deep purple, which glared down at the viewer. The dragon had no mane; an arrange of gold spikes ran down his neck and back instead. A mighty golden blade grew from his tail, which was wrapped about his legs.

"You..." Bane snarled.

The purple dragon was clearly far into the later years of hid life, but still had a powerful air about him. The four symbols of light were etched into the frame; the arrowhead of the fire dragons, the teardrop of the water dragons, the bolts of the lightning dragons, and the inverted circle of the earth dragons. Far in the background was the city of Warfang in the state it was in over a hundred years ago.

Lord Spyro. The "hero" of the dragon race.

Bane felt anger and passing through his body. He glared into the eyes of the mural, struggling to keep his cool.

"Are you displeased, Spyro?" Bane asked. "Are you happy with what I've done?"

Bane waited in silence. He knew that there'd be no response, and yet part of him hoped for one. The king turned away from the mural and returned his focus to the books on the table.

"So, let's see what information the Order gathered about my people." Bane picked up a book and began looking through it.

Bane was up well into the early hours of the morning doing his research.

The Order of Culmubrae had quite the veritable assortment on information relating to the dark dragons. Each of the four clans had over a hundred years' worth of history spelled out for the lay dragon to read. The books spoke of how the wind dragons created flutes to spread songs of heroism. The fear dragons crafted ways for other dragons to overcome their anxieties. The poison dragons created healing salves and purifying tonics to improve a dragon's physical body. The shadow dragons had learned from Lady Cynder how to travel across the oceans without the need of a boat...

But for each book that gave a fair recount of the history of the dark dragons, there was a book that bastardized everything they stood for. The dark dragons' virtues were thrown out, while their mistakes were exaggerated. Bane's stomach churned with every passing page.

 _Of course those fiends would do this to my people_. Bane scowled.

But the worst retelling of history came when Bane came upon information about Lady Cynder. All facts relating to her time in service to an ancient Dark Master were combined with the evil deeds of that master. Cynder was being portrayed as the worst kind of evil the dragon realms had ever seen.

Bane's first response was to tear those pages and throw them into the fireplace. And on a whim, Bane tossed ALL of the history-warping books into the flames.

Bane turned back to the mural of Spyro. A growl rose from his throat.

"How could you let them do this to your wife, Spyro?" Bane demanded. "Why would you choose to become 'one with our world', right when it needed you the most? Look what those light dragons have done to your wife's name! Look what they've done to the dark dragons!"

Bane picked up the nearest book and looked through its pages. Most of the book sang the praises of Lord Spyro. But any mentions of Lady Cynder were either torn out, our changed to be about some other dragoness. Bane tore the pages and burned them with his own magic.

"Do you hear me, Spyro?!" Bane shouted. "Soon, the Order of Culmubrae... and ALL of your hatemongering race.. will be wiped clean from this world. Soon YOU will taste the humiliation of being erased from history. You had a chance to prevent this, but you sat by and did NOTHING!"

Bane surrounded himself with an aura of Convexity. With a wave of his forepaw, his sword appeared in a wreath of purple energy. Bane had the sword spiral around himself as he sat back on his haunches.

"You, supposedly the greatest of light dragons, have allowed my people to suffer. After all that talk of serving the dragon race as a whole... after everything you taught me about helping the people..." Bane shut his eyes. He fought with all his power to keep from crying. "You... and Cynder... you left us behind to suffer. Now I have to do what I can to set things right."

Bane turned away from the mural. His sword floated up through the air and pointed towards the mural. It stabbed through the wall, and flames spread across the surface. The painting burned away, reduced to blackened ashes in moments.

"Wallow in your failure, Spyro." Bane scowled.

Once the ashes were scattered about the floor, Bane gave a yawn. He stood up onto all fours and adjusted his neck. How long exactly had he been in this library? He had forgotten to get sleep again.

 _I need to get some rest_. Bane nodded. _Once I awaken, perhaps I'll finally go see my son..._

Bane pushed the doors open and made his way down the halls. But unbeknownst to him, Nerona was quietly hiding in the hallway nearby. Nerona scowled as she watched the king make his way. Once the king had left, Nerona slipped into the library and looked around. She used her magic to do away with the ashes of the mural. She picked up one of the history books and studied the pages.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, I suppose." Nerona sighed. "Still, I'll need to make sure Bane doesn't stumble upon anything he shouldn't know about..."

Nerona kept flipping through the pages until she came upon one page in particular near the back. It depicted a black dragon amongst the stars, who was facing off against a purple dragon. Nerona scowled as she read the markings underneath the mural. She quickly tore the pages from the book and hid them away in robes.

"There. That's the easy part done..." Nerona looked over at the other books. "Now to make sure he reads only what he **wants** to read."

~~...~~

The aged silver dragon had travelled well into the night through the outskirts. He moved as fast as his brittle old body would let him travel. But when he passed over the top of one of the taller hills, he finally got a view of the city of Warfang in the distance. And his eyes filled with horror.

"I'm... I'm too late."

The Nexus floated menacingly over the center of the city. Storm-clouds rained down across all sectors. Pillars of smoke rose up here and there. Signs of bonfires that burned away the bodies of the deceased. Off to the northeast, graves were being dug for other bodies. Light and Dark dragons alike had lost their lives.

The old dragon collapsed onto the ground, struggling to fight back tears. He wiped his eyes and sighed in defeat.

"What kind of victory is this, Baneth?" He asked solemnly. "How will the loss of all these lives help in rebuilding our culture?"

The silver dragon sat there for some time. He had all but lost the will to continue on his mission. So much time was spent in the mushroom forest, all for a quest of enlightenment. But how could this old drake feel enlightened when such horrible deeds take place in his absence? The old dragon shut his eyes, cursing himself for not being there for his kind...

 _"Don't blame yourself for what Baneth has done."_

"Hmm?" The old dragon looked up. "I don't hear from **you** very often."

 _"Nothing you could have said would have stopped him from attacking Warfang. He was formulating his plans even before Richteriel betrayed the dark dragons."_

"Violence has only begotten violence." The old dragon sighed. He stood up on all fours. "What am I to do, sir? Should I try to talk him out of furthering his plans?"

 _"No. Things have been changed. Rune has been taken into the safety of The Nexus. He'll be safe from_ **his** _influence as long as he stays there."_

"Oh, thank the ancestors..." The old dragon shut his eyes and took a breath of relief. "What are we to do about the other younglings, then?"

 _"Their parents are en route to Warfang, as are those Deep Shadows. We all have decided that it would be for the best if they come together to learn about what's going on behind the scenes. See if you can track down both parties."_

"I'll do what I can." The old dragon stamped the ground.

"Understood. Best of luck to you, and may the Ancestors guide you..."

Once the voice was gone, the silver drake stood up and spread his wings. As he turned towards the south, he cast a quick glance back at Warfang.

"Forgive me, my fellow dragons." He frowned. "I have failed you this night. But I swear I'll prevail before Baneth makes his worst mistake of all."

The aged dragon took off into the night sky.

~~...~~

The streets had grown quiet as the dark dragons patrolled through it. Though they had control over Warfang, none of the dark dragons could have known where Richteriel had hidden himself.

And as the old dragon sat in the corner of the abandoned building on the very outskirts of Warfang, he took a deep breath. He had lost control of Warfang, and his army had lost the battle. But he had not lost the war. There was still time to take back his city.

 _The Order of Culmubrae will prevail._ Richteriel gave a triumphant snarl. _And the black bloodline will DIE._

Richteriel began conjuring the magic he'd need to make contact with his followers outside of Warfang...

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

So there you have it. The longest chapter of the story so far. The big halfway point of the story, where everything starts to shift in tone. I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to read what I've written so far. Currently, I'm no the fence whether I should take a break or not. I've always been one to change my mind constantly when it comes to projects I've got going. So I'll see you next week... or not. Heehee.

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	21. Act 2, Chapter 7

The morning after the events in the Shining (Or Silver, as Voden kept insisting under his breath) Talon Academy weren't pleasant. A thorough investigation into the murders of Elder Matthew and several guards lasted well into the morning. Jules wanted no part in the investigations, preferring to have his group take off for Warfang immediately. Neptus was willing to let the foursome move on, but many of his guards wanted to grill Voden for information. It was only thanks to Neptus' interference that the scholar was able to avoid them.

Jules and the others stood together just to the north of the academy. Voden was more than eager to get a move on. Jules and Hontus were a bit ahead, discussing which direction to fly in next. That left Seraph at the back, standing beside Neptus.

"You'd best watch yourself out there, Seraph." Neptus said. "I fear the worst has yet to come for our kind."

"I'll try to keep safe." Seraph replied, turning towards Hontus. "So long as my allies are by my side, I think I'll be okay."

"Ah, that's the Seraph I remember." Neptus chuckled. He stepped forwards and hugged Seraph with a wing.

"I'm happy that I got to see you again, Uncle." Seraph said sadly.

"The feeling is mutual, my dear." Neptus frowned. He patted her on the shoulder. "I wish the best for you and your companions."

"Thank you, Uncle Neptus."

~~...~~

Blankridge and the other younglings had flown for as fast as they could.

None of them said a word as they travelled all night. But Blankridge could tell from the girls' eyes that they still couldn't handle the fact that Rune was... kidnapped. Blankridge himself was having a hard time keeping his distress to himself. He flew at the lead of the group to keep the others from seeing his tears.

With no idea where else to go, Blankridge led the others directly north towards Warfang. For two days they flew, stopping only to eat and sleep. They had to keep going, in case Guardian Scelus or his guards were in pursuit of them.

 _I can't believe that Rune's gone..._ Blankridge sniffled. _If only I was a few seconds faster, I could have chased that lady through the portal..._

On the evening of the second day of travel, the younglings were flying through the airspace that led to Warfang. Black clouds had swarmed over the city far in the distance. It made Blankridge sick to his stomach to think they might have to fly right into the airspace. Part of Blankridge wanted to keep going, for both Rune's sake and the girls' morality. But even if Blankridge fancied himself a heroic leader, it was hard to keep up such an appearance.

"Say..." Blankridge said as he looked back at the girls. "It's getting late. "Maybe we should land somewhere and spend the night."

"But we need to get to Warfang!" Nellie exclaimed. "We have to find Rune!"

"Warfang is the biggest city in all of the dragon realms." Roxanne said. "Even if we got there tonight, we'd need time to work on a plan on how to find him."

"I'll look around for a place to land." Blankridge said. He turned his eyes down to the land below. Amongst the many hills scattered about the outskirts, one of the largest ones had a small cave entrance in the side of it. It was the best thing Blankridge could find. But it was getting hard to see, as the sun was starting to set.

"Hey, how about that cave?" He asked the girls. "We can spend the night there, and I'll start a campfire."

"Fine by me." Roxanne said.

"I... I guess that'll have to do." Nellie sighed. She looked over at Emerald. "What do you think?"

The green dragoness didn't say anything. She just flapped her wings to glide down to the hill, a scowl on her face. Blankridge watched her with a grimace. He flew down after her, and Nellie and Roxanne took the rear.

The four young dragons came to a landing at the base of the hill and trotted into the cave. The mouth of the cave was narrow, but the deeper they went, it opened up and descended deep underground. Many stalagmites and stalactites decorated the entrance. All together, they resembled a dragon's fangs.

"Wow..." Blankridge looked around.

"I guess this is as good a place as any to spend the night." Nellie sighed. "Let's stay away from the darkness, though.

"But what if someone sneaks up on us while we're asleep?" Roxanne asked. "Unless we sleep in shifts, anyone could sneak up on us."

"Gee, if only there was a way in which this situation wouldn't have happened." Emerald said through gritted fangs.

Nellie and Roxanne looked back at Emerald, who just glared back.

"Hey, there's no need for that." Roxanne snapped.

"Oh yes there is!" Emerald exclaimed. "Why couldn't any of you just listen to me! All we had to do was spend one night at the village, and then leave without any problems! But NO! You and Rune just HAD to insist on bailing in the middle of the night, running us right into that Guardian's guards!"

"Stop it!" Nellie shouted. She took a few steps closer to Emerald, who just scowled at her. "Yelling at us about it isn't going to fix anything."

"I don't care!" Emerald shouted, her voice cracking a bit. "None of you ever listen to me. I've been trying to be the voice of reason ever since that night in Glenhaven. But no matter what I say, I keep getting ignored."

"Well, maybe we'd listen to what you have to say if you weren't always so bossy." Roxanne snapped.

"Bossy?!" Emerald exclaimed. Her talons dug into the ground as she glared at Roxanne. "I'll have you know I'm not bossy! I'm just trying to keep my friends in line!"

Blankridge carefully scooted back away from the girls as the argument got more heated. He could never stand to get caught up in these kinds of things. All he ever wanted to do was have adventures, not argue over how to have one. He turned his eyes towards the darker part of the cave. He tilted head and squinted, trying his best to see what was at the back of the cave. But the darkness seemed to go on forever.

And that's when an idea popped into Blankridge's head. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small torch. Blankridge lit the end of it and carried it in his mouth. He trotted forwards into the back of the cave. It went on further and further, with a slope leading downwards. Blankridge kept going down, until he found something surprising; a perfectly-rectangular doorway.

Blankridge immediately turned around and ran back to the girls. He arrived in time to hear Emerald uttered a string of some rather choice words. Nellie stepped back from Emerald, her face flushing and a forepaw over her mouth.

"Heh." Roxanne smirked. "I should have known you weren't as 'prim and proper' as you let on."

"Shut up." Emerald snapped. "If I knew them, I must have gotten them from a low-born rabble-rouser like you."

"What?!" Roxanne growled. She spread out her legs, as if getting ready to attack.

Before that conflict could go anywhere else, Blankridge ran in-between all of the girls and spat his torch onto the ground.

"Girls, this isn't just a cave!" He shouted, swinging around and kicking dirt about. "It's a tunnel entrance!"

All of the girls yelped and jumped away from the dirt.

"Blankridge, watch it!" Emerald shouted.

"Oh, lighten up." Blankridge chided as he faced her. "If you're all still spooked about someone finding us out in the open, let's venture into the tunnel. It even looks like it heads north to Warfang."

"How can we be sure that there's a back entrance?" Roxanne asked him, wiping dirt from her scales.

"We won't know until we find out." Blankridge ran behind Roxanne and pushed her towards the back of the cave. "Come on, let's go!"

"Hey, get off!" Roxanne shouted. She forcibly sat down on her haunches and crossed her forepaws. "I'm not a hatchling; I can walk forwards on my own, Blank."

"Then let's go!" Blankridge ran around all three of the girls. "Let's venture into the tunnel, go to Warfang, and heroically rescue Rune!"

Blankridge relit his torch and picked it back up to lead the way. Roxanne shrugged and trotted forwards towards the tunnel entrance. Nellie glanced towards Emerald. The green dragoness returned to her silent scowling as she followed behind Blankridge.

"But Blankridge, what about-?" Nellie began to ask. Blankridge looked back towards her, his eyes pleading. He just wanted the bickering to stop. With a defeated sigh, Nellie took up the rear.

The group walked through the entrance and down into a cavern beneath the hills. They walked forwards for the better part of an hour. At first, the ground was rough and the walls were jagged. But as time went on, the rock floor was replaced with polished tiles. The walls became smooth, and various markings began to appear in intricate patterns. At the start of the second hour, they discovered many gem clusters growing on the walls and ceiling, providing an artificial light source.

For the first time in his life, Blankridge felt like a real explorer. Here he was in a dark cavern, with almost no clue where to head. But thanks to Emerald's compass, he was able to keep track of which way was north.

Behind him, Roxanne looked about at the cavern with enthusiasm. Nellie had her reservations at the rear of the group, always looking over her shoulder

"Wow..." Roxanne remarked, her wings fluttering. "I've never seen a cave like this before. Granted, I've mainly seen caves in portraits back home, but still..."

"Meh." Blankridge muttered around his torch. "Mi mish mi muddm mum mem moomem."

"What?" Nellie tilted her head in confusion.

Blankridge looked back at her. "Mi meh mi mish mi muddm mum mem moomem."

"Blank!" Emerald shouted. "We can't understand you with the torch in your mouth, you dummy!"

Blankridge blinked in surprise. He looked down at his torch, and then turned around to offer it to Roxanne. She reluctantly took the torch while Blankridge spat the taste of the wood out of his mouth. Emerald merely groaned and rolled her eyes.

"What I said was that I wish I could've come here sooner." Blankridge said. "Maybe once we've rescued Rune, we can make a return trip through the cavern and see what secrets it's got.

Emerald snorted and looked away. Roxanne took his place at the lead, while Blankridge went to walk at the back besides Nellie.

"Are you okay, sis?" He asked.

"Yeah..." She nodded. But then she jumped in fright when she stepped on an old twig. "Eep!"

"Hey, relax." Blankridge draped a wing over her. "You big bro is always here to keep an eye on ya."

"I know..." Nellie smiled. "Thanks, Blank."

"You're welcome, Ne-" Blankridge stopped when he felt Nellie nuzzle his forehead. "Hey! Don't do that!"

"What? It's just a harmless nuzzle." Nellie pouted.

"It's gross!" Blankridge exclaimed, backing away from her. "Now I have to find a way to wash it off!"

Blankridge ran far ahead of the group, rambling about "Sister cooties". Roxanne chuckled at his antics, while Emerald rolled her eyes. Nellie only frowned and continued walking by herself.

By the end of the second hour, the cavern had grown much more spacious. The roof became much higher above their heads, and the walls had fallen away. They soon found themselves on a series of bridges and paths over a great abyss. Luckily the gem clusters had increased to the point where everything was well illuminated. Blankridge took his torch back and put it away in his satchel before taking off into flight.

"Come on, we can fly now!" He exclaimed. The Nellie and Roxanne immediately took off after him, but Emerald stayed on the ground.

"Hey, are we ever going to stop for the night?" Emerald asked. "My paws are killing me."

"Oh, would the princess like a paw massage?" Roxanne snorted.

"Of course not." Emerald spat. "I just think we could use some sleep."

"I'm with Emmy on this one." Nellie glided back down beside her. "I could some rest."

"Eh, why not?" Blankridge shrugged. He turned back around to land, forcing Roxanne to land with them.

The pathway they all stood upon was wide enough for the foursome to sit down in a circle. Blankridge took some flint and tinder out of his satchel so he could start a fire. He then settled in to relax.

"Hey, you know something, girls?" Blankridge asked.

"What, Blank?" Nellie asked.

"For all that arguing that's happened over that scroll, we still don't know what it says." He rolled over to lay on his back. "How's about finally cracking it open?"

"Why do you wait until **now** of all times to bring it up?" Emerald glared. "I was just about to get some rest!"

"Well, think of it as a bedtime story." Blankridge chuckled.

"Seriously, Blank?" Nellie asked with an eye ridge raised.

"Alright, how about this; reading the info on those fiend guys will take our minds off of arguing." Blankridge sat back on his haunches and fluttered his wings.

Nellie and Roxanne exchanged glances, unsure of what to think. They glanced towards Emerald, who took off her satchel and ran her forepaws over it uneasily.

"Well..." Emerald muttered. "I guess we needed to read it sooner or later..."

She pulled the scroll out of her satchel and slowly opened it. The others gathered together around Emerald as she cleared her throat.

"The Dark Fiends, or crepsculi in ancient draconian, are being based off ancient magic from long before Lord Spyro's time." Emerald said as she adjusted her spectacles. "Long ago, dragons were able to channel the magic of the natural world by calling upon the fragmented spirits of deceased dragons. Thos spirit fragments were encased in elemental magic, giving them artificial bodies."

"So... they're like zombies?" Blankridge asked as he scratched his head.

"No, Blank." Nellie rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows Zombies aren't real."

"But-" Roxanne started to say.

"Can I please continue?" Emerald demanded. Roxanne sighed and shook her head yes, and Emerald resumed. "The crepsculi lived half-lives; they were mindless beasts connected via a hive mind. They always obeyed whoever summoned them to the physical world. And when they suffered severe damage, the magic keeping them on the physical plain would break apart. The crepsculi would then fade away into nothingness, releasing the spirit fragments back into the world."

"What did they look like back then?" Nellie asked.

"Hmm..." Emerald looked through the scroll for a moment. "Ah, here we go..."

As Emerald cleared her throat again, Blankridge glanced around at the other girls. Nellie had scooted up to Roxanne to drape a wing over her. The yellow dragoness wiped her eyes with her forepaw.

"The physical appearance of the crepsculi was dependent on the type of magic used to create the bodies." Emerald said. "For example, when using earth and other nature-based magic, the crepsculi took the form of animated patches of rock and plant-life. A young Spyro happened to take part in a warm against swarms of this type of crepsculi, which were called grublins during that era. Another evil dragon created crepsculi using ice magic. These monsters were called the Frostbiters."

"The monsters we've been fighting were made of spooky black mist." Blankridge said. "So what are they called?"

"I guess they're just called the dark fiends." Emerald shrugged.

"There was that time in Crossgale where several of the monsters combined together." Roxanne said. "What caused that to happen?"

Emerald moved further down the scroll. "According to this, the dragon who summoned the crepsculi can use the summoning magic to combine the magic that makes up the creatures' bodies. They grow to massive size, but the fragments of spirits stay separate. That ensures that the behemoth doesn't gain sentience and go rogue."

"Weird..." Blankridge shivered. "I'd have to see one of those big nasties for myself."

"Hmm..." Roxanne stepped up to look at the scroll. She pursed her lips in thought. "Could the summoning magic be used for other means?"

"Like what?" Emerald asked.

"What if those spirit fragments weren't kept separate?" Roxanne asked. "What if they were meshed together? In some way to bring back the dead."

"Bring back the dead?" Nellie repeated. She shivered from head to tail. "That's horrifying. Why would anyone want to do such a thing?"

"Well, several dragons did throughout history." Emerald said. "There were a few evil dragons who were concerned with bringing _themselves_ back from the dead. They left behind twisted rituals for their followers to resurrect their souls."

"Ick." Blankridge shivered. "I'd hate to run into one of them."

"Well, that's that, then." Emerald looked up from the scroll. "I've read the scroll. Is everyone happy now?"

"Yes, thanks." Blankridge smirked. "Now we know where those spooky things came from."

"But what about how to get rid of them?" Nellie asked. "How do we send the fragmented souls back to the beyond?"

"Ugh. Give me a minute..." Emerald groaned and looked over the scroll again. When she found what to read, a chill ran up her spine. "Well... according to this... The crepsculi are bound to the dragon who summoned them. The summoner is the only dragon who can send the harvested spirits back to the underworld. Otherwise..."

"What? What?" Nellie insisted, leaning forwards.

"Otherwise..." Emerald took a breath. "The crepsculi may be temporarily destroyed, but they'll just reform again elsewhere. They could be anywhere, at any time, according to the will of the summoner."

"So we can't defeat them?" Nellie asked worriedly.

"Hey, no sweat!" Blankridge moved to sit down beside his sister. "All we have to do is find the summoner and smack him around until he gets rid of the crepsu-whatevers!"

"What, do you think that's easy to do?" Emerald glared. "The dragon who's summoning so many crepsculi at one time must be really powerful. We'd be like... like **bugs** to them."

"Hey... uh... don't sell yourself short, Emmy." Blankridge said. He struggled to put on a brave face. "Whoever it is, we can take them."

Emerald gave Blankridge a look of incredulous irritation. Nellie and Roxanne glanced at Blankridge, equally put off by his bravado.

"Do you ever listen to yourself, Blank?" Emerald demanded. "Can't you ever stop and think about the ramifications of these things? We've seen so many of those monsters at once time. And there's possibly even more of them out there."

"Yeah, so?" Blankridge shrugged. "We stopped them before. We can keep fighting them until we deal with the dragon who's controlling them."

"Blank, it's not that simple!" Emerald stamped her foot. "The dragon who's controlling them... the dark dragon... they could be even more powerful than anything we've ever seen before! And even with our training, we're just kids. KIDS!"

"Hey, calm down..." Blankridge stammered, his grin melting away.

"She's right, Blank." Nellie said. "I want to rescue Rune, sure. But the last thing I want to happen is coming face-to-face with the dragon that's been creating all those monsters." She put a forepaw on Blankridge's shoulder. "And I couldn't stand to see you getting seriously hurt trying to fight them."

"So, what are you trying to say?" Blankridge asked, backing up.

"What we're saying is; cut the theatrics." Emerald said. "We need to keep a low profile, and focus on the mission of finding Rune. The last thing we need is for you to go running off into the maw of danger and getting your head bitten off."

"But..." Blankridge stammered. "If I don't face the danger, how could I ever be like Spyro was?"

"Is that what you think this is about? Emulating the great Lord Spyro in his younger years?" Emerald stomped on the ground in frustration.

"N-No!" Blankridge stammered. "It's about-"

"You really think Lord Spyro blindly ran into danger?" Emerald pointed an accusing talon at Blankridge. "Spyro fought against evil and monsters because he had no choice! And we're out on a dangerous quest because we have no choice! Rune needs our help to get away from those dark dragons!"

"But he IS a dark dragon." Blankridge said. "And a black dragon at that. He's plenty capable of-"

"Oh, come off it." Emerald demanded. "We're not a band of heroes seeking thrills and adventure. We're just a bunch of kids who've gotten in way over our heads. Once we find Rune, we're going home."

"But what about Rune's quest to-?" Nellie started asking.

"I said, we're GOING HOME." Emerald turned towards Nellie with a sneer. "I'm sick of you all not listening to me! Once Rune's safely back with us, we're turning around. He can go on a quest to find his real family when he's an adult! That way he won't have to drag the rest of us through the mud!"

Blankridge and Nellie looked at Emerald, completely stunned. Roxanne sneered at Emerald, but decided not to say anything. Though when Emerald turned around, Roxanne glanced at Blankridge and Nellie, making a sign with her tail that Emerald was crazy.

"Well, if we've finally gotten THAT out of the way..." Emerald rolled up the scroll and put it away in her satchel. "I've enough of this discussion. I'm going to bed. We still have to find our way to Warfang in the morning."

"I'm sleeping too." Roxanne said, curling up beside her belongings. "Goodnight."

Blankridge frowned. He gave Nellie a quick hug and walked over to his own satchel. He sighed and rested on his flank.

"Are you alright, Blank?" Nellie asked quietly.

"Yeah..." Blankridge flapped a single wing in response. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Blank." Nellie curled up on the ground.

Before long, the air was filled with the snores of the three girls. Blankridge could only lay on his side with his eyes darting this way and that. He'd never really sat down to think about things since their journey began. Had he used this whole thing as an excuse to go thrill-seeking? It was the first time in his life that he'd gotten to leave Glenhaven. He kept telling himself that it was to help Rune find his true family. But part of Blankridge felt like he was just saying that so he wouldn't feel greedy.

 _What's coming over me?_ Blankridge wondered as he rolled over. _Rune's my brother. I'd give anything in the world to help him out... Even if his wanting to run away was... my once in a lifetime chance to finally leave home. Wait, no! I shouldn't word it like that!_

Blankridge tossed and turned, struggling to come up with a way to rationalize his feelings.

 _I really do want to be an adventurer, like Spyro was. But that doesn't mean I want anyone I know to be in danger_! Blankridge started tearing up a little. He wiped the tears away and shut his eyes.

 _Why must there be so much drama? Why can't we just have a fun adventure?_

~~...~~

Albanion woke up in the middle of his tent. He stretched out his limbs and yawned. He passed through the flap of his tent and looked around at the horizon. The dark clouds hung over Warfang as prominently as always.

Albanion just couldn't bring himself to head into Warfang. He knew that his lord was likely waiting for him to report in now that the city is under dark dragon control. And yet, Albanion couldn't come to grips with what had happened. Thus, he and his companions had spent the last few days camped out on the eastern edge of the outskirts of Warfang.

 _How could you do this, Baneth_? Albanion wondered as he looked towards the west. _Even after all that time you'd spent planning this operation. Even if I had sworn loyalty to you... to think you would still go through with this. Warfang was your home. What would King Urobos think of you?_

Albanion sighed and turned around to look at his companions. Aegis had gotten up earlier and prepared a breakfast of various fruits. Elza sat beside him, using her wind magic to keep the air around the campsite cool and crisp.

"Good morning, Albanion." Elza greeted as Albanion emerged from his camp. "Are you feeling well?"

"About as well as I can, considering..." Albanion sighed. He turned back towards Warfang, when he spotted something he hadn't before. A great number of non-dragon made their way out of Warfang. The crowd travelled in scores of wagons and carriages as they travelled to the east.

"What's that about?" Aegis wondered.

"I don't know. So let's find out." Elza said. She spread her wings and took off into flight. With a sigh, Albanion followed after her.

"I suppose I'll just pack up our supplies?" Aegis called after them. He turned away and shook his head.

Albanion and Elza came to a landing a short distance from one of the wagons near the end of the chain. Many of the cheetahs and moles nearby turned to glance at them.

"Excuse me." Elza called out to a group of moles in a rusty old carriage. "Could you please explain where this wagon train is headed?"

"We're heading to Faezhrine." One of the moles said. Their accent was always thick and unusual to a dragon's ear frills. But they knew better than to comment on that aloud.

"Why?" Elza wondered. "This weather isn't the most accommodating to a wagon train of such a size.

"We had to get out while we could!" Another mole exclaimed. "Ze mozt horrible thing haz happened! Ze zity of Warfang haz been taken over by ze dark dragonz!"

"Dark dragons?" Albanion asked with feigned curiosity.

"Yes!" A female cheetah shouted from across the way. "They attacked a few nights ago without warning! Their leader killed the Guardians! And the Pappas has gone missing!"

"Is their leader forcing non-dragons to leave Warfang?" Albanion asked.

"No; we were given the option to evacuate. Most of us are fleeing to Faeshrine, while others are heading west." The cheetah looked down and shivered. "It was a better fate than what happened to those poor dragons..."

Albanion and Elza exchanged worriedly glances. Elza took a deep breath and addressed the moles again.

"What... What's happened to the dragons of Warfang?"

"Mozt of zem hav been imprizoned." The first mole said. "Ze black king haz declared martial law on Warfang. Thoze that fought back have been zlaughtered."

Albanion felt a tad sick to his stomach. The very idea of those events was poisonous to him.

"But the younglings have been spared." The cheetah said. "The eggs and underage dragons have been put into stasis. What's being done with them, we don't know."

"I see..." Albanion glanced back at Elza. She was struggling to keep a brave face, he could tell. Braver even than himself at the moment. Albanion sighed and glanced back at the wagon. "Thank you for the information. I wish the best of luck to you all."

"Where are you headed?" The mole asked.

"Warfang." Albanion stated.

"Warfang?!" The travelers exclaimed.

"Didn't you listen to what we were saying?!" The cheetah demanded. "Warfang is a war-zone! You'll never survive amongst all those dark dragons!"

"I thank you for your concern." Albanion nodded. "But I believe that my companions and I will fair much better."

"What has you so convinzed?" A mole asked.

"Call it intuition." Albanion turned around and spread his wings. "Come, Elza. We've got work to do."

"As you wish, Albanion." Elza said. She said her goodbyes to the travelers and followed Albanion across the sky. The travelers looked after them with stunned expressions, and a cheetah figured they were doomed.

When Albanion and Elza returned to their camp, Aegis had finished packing up all of their sleeping supplies.

"So, what's the news?" Aegis asked as he tied up a knot.

"We venture into Warfang." Albanion stated. "Tonight."

~~...~~

The Guardians made their way across the Veros Outskirts during the next few days. During all of that time, heavy storm clouds were visible in the vicinity of Warfang. The group made their way northeast as directly as they could. Seraph's resolve to head to the great dragon city was now twofold. Whether it be to find her children or to find answers, Seraph knew she **must** get Warfang as soon as she could.

"I don't like the look of that storm." Voden said. "They're not like usual weather phenomena; they've stood in that exact spot for the whole trip."

"Let's be thankful that the storm isn't over us." Hontus nodded.

The foursome continued on their journey until the sunset of the third day. Jules brought the group to a landing on a lush patch of grass. The grass at atop one of the many hills on the outskirts. From where Seraph sat, Warfang looked less than a day's journey away. All around, the sky was a stunning shade of red from east to west. Far off in the distance, the twin moons could be vaguely seen far off in the heavens. It was so beautiful, it almost made Seraph forget about her troubles.

"We've made decent progress so far." Jules said, stretching out his back. "Let's stop to set up camp."

"Why don't we keep flying?" Seraph asked. "I'm sure we can make the distance."

"We'll need all the rest we can get." Jules said. "We can enter Warfang proper after we're well-rested. That way we can conduct a thorough search for the children."

"Ancestors know I'm worried about them, but that's not all..." Seraph said with a sigh. She looked down at the pocket where she hid her uncle's silver-gold coin.

"Love, we need to get some rest." Hontus said. He draped a wing over her. "We can't find the children if we're too tired to stand."

Seraph looked Hontus in the eyes, and then down at the ground. She gave a heavy sigh. "Alright. If you think that's best..."

"Hey, do any of you see what I see?" Voden asked. He was facing something to the east.

"What is it, Voden?" Jules asked.

"Look, over there!" Voden motioned with a wing towards the outskirts. Far off on a distant hill, a glimmering speck of orange and red danced atop one of the far off hills. A trail of smoke rose up into the clouds.

"Could that be a campfire?" Hontus asked.

"Hmm..." Jules approached the edge of the hill and flapped his wings. "It's possible."

"That must mean someone else is stopping for the night on the outskirts." Seraph said, walking up beside Voden. "Do you think they'd appreciate some company?"

"I don't know." Voden looked towards Jules. "What do you think, sir?"

"Well, we're stopping for the night either way." The captain nodded. "We could fly east to seek that party out. You could even argue that we'll be slightly closer to Warfang if we're further east."

"Well then, let's go say hello." Hontus said as he leaped into the air. The others nodded in agreement and flew off after him towards the distant campfire.

It was only a short while before the foursome arrived at the campsite. Sitting a short distance from the rolling flames was a single, old dragon. A large pack sat at his side. He wore a pair of old robes around most of his silver body. His face was worn with age, and his mane fell to the bottom of his neck. The old dragon hummed a gentle tune to himself as he looked down into the flames, his eyes shut tight.

Jules cleared his throat before speaking. "Excuse us, kind sir..."

The old drake opened his eyes and looked up at the foursome.

"Well, well, well..." The old dragon smiled. "Some Guardians of Glenhaven, venturing to the north close to nighttime."

"Young?" Jules snorted. "We are most definitely **not** young!"

"Compared to **me** , you are." The old dragon laughed. He got up onto his feet, stretching his great neck and wings. He stood roughly a head and a half taller than the other dragons. "Would you four care to join me for a meal?"

"We would be honored." Seraph bowed her head and sat on her haunches. "Thank you, elder one."

"Elder?" The old dragon chuckled again. "No, I'll have none of that. I'm just a travelling old drake, moving from place to place depending on where he needs to be."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Voden asked curiously.

"Don't you worry about that, Scholar."

"Might I know your name, sir?" Hontus asked as he sat down beside his wife.

"My name doesn't really matter. Call me what you will."

The four dragons exchanged concerned glances. The males put their heads together and spoke a few things under hushed tones. Seraph glanced over at the old dragon, who resumed looking into the fire. Seraph was a tad unnerved. Something about this dragon struck her as strange. She didn't see many silver-hided dragons. The only other one she could remember was that merchant in Lakewryng, and they certainly weren't the same person.

Eventually, the other dragons broke up their huddle, and Jules shrugged his shoulders.

"As you wish, old man." He said. "I guess we'll call you... Old Man."

"Very well." The old drake smiled again.

"In any case, I am Captain Jules of the Glenhaven Guardians." The yellow dragon saluted. "These are my companions. The scholar Voden, the blacksmith Hontus, and his mate Seraph."

"It's quite the pleasure to meet you all." Old Man said. "Here, I'll cook you some dinner..."

The foursome seated themselves around the campfire as Old Man reached into his pack. He produced a frying pain, a pair of tongs, and several slabs of lamb steak. He placed the pan over the flames and placed the steak in it. The old drake carefully used the tongs to flip the steaks over every now and then.

Hontus scratched his chin curiously. "What a fascinating contraption. I usually just cook the steaks with a burst of magical flame."

"I prefer to use magic only when necessary." Old Man said between flipping the steaks. "And besides, this frees up my mouth for talking."

 _It does, eh?_ Seraph wondered.

"So, Sir Jules..." Old Man stood up. "What has you and your companions travelling so far from home?"

"We're on an important mission." Jules said. The captain began recounting the tale of everything that happened from Glenhaven up until the death of Elder Matthew. Old Man followed along as he cooked the steaks, listening intently. The elderly drake's smile faded into a serious expression, but when the story ended, Old Man tried to hide it under a smile.

"Ah, so you're going to search for your children in Warfang?" Old Man asked. "I'm not sure if heading right there is the safest thing to do right now."

"Why wouldn't it be?" Hontus asked.

"Can you not see the storm clouds." Old Man extended a wing towards the north. "There's word spreading out that the dark dragons have come out of hiding, and have taken hold of the city."

Seraph and the others gasped in shock. Warfang, taken by dark dragons? But Warfang had stood as a mighty city-state for over a hundred years? How could it fall to dark dragons, when they were supposed to be on the decline? Jules took the news the hardest, as his eyes went wide and he jumped to his feet.

"NO!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but it's the truth." Old Man said. "You need to stay away from Warfang. It's bound to be a war zone in a matter of weeks."

"But I need to find my daughter!" Jules shouted. "I have to rescue my Emerald!"

"And my children, too!" Hontus exclaimed. "Blankridge, Nellie, and especially Rune..."

"Please, don't take it out on me." Old Man said sadly. "I'm sorry that your younglings have ventured into such dangerous territory, but it won't help if you head straight to Warfang right now. If they saw you, your lives would be forfeit... but I can guarantee that the children will be unharmed."

"What?" Jules blinked, and then glared. "And how would you know that?"

"It's in the nature of the dark dragons; none of them will ever bring harm to a youngling. To harm a child is forbidden by their customs." Old Man moved the steaks from the flames and blew them out. "Surely your scholar would know about dark dragon customs."

"He's right." Voden nodded. "From what I've learned from books and from my time at the old academy, most dark dragons treasure the life of young ones."

"So you're saying our children are safe in Warfang for the time being?" Seraph asked with a modicum of hope. Old Man sighed and sat back on his haunches.

"I suppose that would depend on the definition of 'safe'." He said. "At the present time, the rumor is that the younglings of Warfang are being... detained in a certain place."

Seraph let loose a harsh breath. "They're prisoners."

"It's well beyond my forepaws." Old Man frowned. "Please, don't shoot the messenger with a fireball."

"I won't." Hontus snorted. "Though I admit this news makes it hard for me to sit idly by."

Seraph looked Hontus in the eyes. It was clear that he was trying to fight back tears of worry. Seraph was having a harder time, though she prevailed.

"You know, now that I think it over again..." Old Man scratched his chin. "I believe I've heard _something_ about a particular young dragon travelling across the land."

"You have?" Seraph looked towards him.

"Oh, yes." Old Man nodded. "I think the rumor was that it was a thirteen-year-old... black dragon."

Seraph and the others gasped and their eyes widened. Seraph's heart leaped up into her throat. Jules struggled to dig into his pocket for his pipe. Hontus's eyes became twitchy, and Voden bit his lower lip. Had the secret gotten out about Rune's true form?

"What's wrong?" Old Man asked as he looked them over.

"Oh, I don't know if I can tell you..." Seraph said worriedly.

"What do you mean?" The silver drake tilted his head curiously.

"Our boy Rune..." Hontus said, taking a deep breath. He glanced at Seraph, then at Jules. The red dragon motioned towards the old drake, asking with his eyes for permission to tell him the truth. Jules snorted and nodded his head yes, but Seraph stammered too much to give an answer. With a sigh, Hontus looked at Old Man. "Rune is the black dragon."

Seraph thought that the old drake would be surprised. But Old Man seemed... nonchalant. He sat back on his haunches and nodded yes, as if he had already suspected the revelation.

"I take it that your boy Rune was adopted?" Old Man asked.

"Well, yes." Seraph said. "Roughly six years ago, in fact. Our Elders found him all alone in the middle of the Arcus Desert. Elder Telus entrusted Hontus and I with raising Rune, and we loved him like a son. For years, I thought that Rune was a fire dragon. I didn't know of Rune's true identity..."

"But I did." Hontus sighed.

"You did?" Old Man raised an eye ridge.

"I swore an oath of secrecy to Elder Telus." Hontus frowned and looked down at his forepaws. "I kept a close watch on Rune, to see whether elemental magic apart from fire would turn up. Things seemed uneventful, until quite recently when his nightmares started. Strange dragons appeared in Glenhaven, and it was revealed that Rune had a disguise over his scales... "

Hontus looked sadly towards Seraph. She looked at him pitifully. She had long ago gotten over her initial anger at Hontus's secrets. It was that same anger that drove Rune to run away. Seraph felt pain in her chest and looked away. Shame on her.

Old Man frowned and shook his head.

"I won't judge you, Sir Hontus." He said. "I understand the pains of having to put orders over duties to family..." The silver drake put his pan aside again. "But in any case, you say that Rune had a magical disguise?"

"Yes." Jules said. "It was something akin to a layer of dark fog surrounding every single scale on Rune's body. The dark dragons who fled Glenhaven wore similar disguises."

"Ah... So Rune and those dark dragons were shrouded in darkness.." Old Man said. "A rather apt description. I've heard of this before."

"You have?" Jules asked.

"Quite, yes." Old Man flipped the steaks over again. "It's an enchantment based around dark magic. It's called the Shroud of Darkness."

Seraph and the others exchanged glances briefly while the old drake continued.

"The Shroud of Darkness has enabled the dark dragons to go deep into hiding in the aftermath of the Twilight War. It's only detectable by dragons who have trained for years in the ways of the mystic."

"Of course." Seraph stamped his forepaw. "It's the same as what that assailant in the academy wore when she attacked my uncle."

"Her name is Nerona." Voden said begrudgingly. "But yes, she wore the same shroud."

"But why would Rune be wearing such a disguise?" Old Man queried.

"We don't know." Hontus said. "Rune had the disguise on when they found him in the desert. No signs of anything out of the ordinary came for six whole years."

"Intriguing." Old Man nodded. "And Rune himself wasn't aware of the disguise?"

"No. He was just as shocked as we were when he found out." Seraph said. "And he claimed to remember part of his original family."

Old Man's eyes flashed wide. "His original family? What did he say?"

"Not much..." Seraph shook her head. "He mentioned having an aunt and an uncle... and then there was his running-away letter..." Seraph reached into her satchel for a moment until she produced the letter the younglings left them. It pained her to read its words over again, but she did anyway. "His letter say that 'his family is waiting for him at the Well of Souls'."

The old dragon froze in place. He looked away, taking a deep breath. Seraph watched him curiously as he twiddled his forepaws together.

"Are you alright, Old Man?" Seraph asked. "You're acting very strange all of a sudden."

"Forgive me; I was just thinking." Old Man shook his head. "Forgive me; I believe it's high time I actually serve out these steaks."

The silver drake produced a few plates from his pack and served the steaks on each one. He passed one plate to each of the foursome and sat back on his haunches. Seraph took the steak and calmly ate form it. She had forgotten the last time she had sat down to enjoy a decent meal. While the others ate the steak, Old Man reached into his pack to produce a small, blue fruit.

"What's that?" Jules asked.

"Why, it's a lunar apple." The silver drake said. "They're usually native to the deepest reaches of the Mushroom Forest."

"You don't eat meat?" Hontus queried in-between two of his bites. Old Man took a bite of his lunar apple and swallowed.

"Oh, I eat meat from time to time. I just prefer something sweeter every now and then."

Old Man sat quietly as he dug into his apple. Seraph only shrugged and enjoyed her own meal. When the old drake was finished, he dug a hole in the dirt and buried the core. He then clasped his forepaws together and muttered some kind of chant under his breath. Seraph watched him curiously, while Voden raised an eye ridge.

"...Peace be with them all. Faram." Old Man said before opening his eyes again.

"Was that a prayer to Lady Cynder?" Voden asked.

"It was mostly done towards the ancestors, and a respect towards nature, but I suppose so." Old Man said. "It's something I picked up during my time with the dark dragons."

"Ah, so you studied with dark dragons before the war?" The scholar asked with an enthusiastic smile.

"I wouldn't stop at just 'studied with'." Old Man chuckled. "I spent most of my life learning from Lady Cynder herself, when she was alive."

"You knew Cynder?" Hontus asked.

"And Lord Spyro." Old Man nodded. He then frowned and sighed. "Forgive this old drake for reminiscing on the good old days..."

"Exactly who are you? Really?" Jules demanded. "I've never met a dragon quite like you before."

"Who I am doesn't really matter." Old Man said. He wiped his muzzle off with a cloth and sat back again. "What matters is that, whatever happens in the coming weeks, that you don't blame the dark dragons as a whole for what happens."

"What?" Jules exclaimed.

"The dark dragons aren't collectively to blame for the conquering of Warfang. They're merely following the orders of Lord Baneth."

"Well, what are we to do, then?" Jules sneered. "What do we do if we encounter the dragons who have caused trouble in Glenhaven and that Academy? Do we simply pat them on the back?"

"Things aren't as black and white as they seem, Captain." Old Man insisted. "If you want my advice, you should camp out here for a day or two. Take some time to form a plan of action."

"Hmm..." Jules glared at the old dragon for a moment. His forepaw idled briefly over his pipe pocket. But he put his paw down and sighed. "Fine. Forgive me for losing my temper."

"It's no trouble, captain." Old Man said. "I understand the woes of a father wanting to save his young."

"You do?" Jules asked.

"I'd... rather not discuss it in detail." The silver drake sighed.

"Very well." Jules looked back at his companions. "It's getting late. We should all turn in for the night."

The others nodded yes and spread out to lay down about the campfire. Old man doused the fire and sat back on the far end of the hill, just before the curve.

"Goodnight, Guardians of Glenhaven." The old drake said.

"Pleasant dreams, stranger." Seraph replied.

After that, all was quiet.

~~...~~

It was late at night. The silver dragon stood up and glanced around at the Guardians of Glenhaven. All of them were fast asleep. Seeing the opportunity, the silver dragon stood up and glided down from the hilltop. He came to a landing in the valley and sat back on his haunches. The old dragon shut his eyes and clasped his forepaws together. He inhaled slowly and deeply for concentration.

After a moment or two, the old drake felt the presence of another dragon. She sat down across from him, looking upon him with her ethereal green eyes.

"Good evening, milady." The old dragon said with a bow of his head. He kept his eyes closed the whole time, yet he could sense how she blended into the darkness of the night.

 _"I take if you found the Glenhaven Guardians?"_ The dragoness asked.

"Actually, they found me." The old drake replied. "Come tomorrow morning, I'll lead them in the right direction."

 _"Good. Perhaps we can stop Baneth's plan after all."_

"Is Rune alright?" The old dragon asked worriedly.

 _"He is... struggling to adjust."_ The dragoness sighed. _"But he's still safe, for the time being."_

"What about the other children? Have you found them?"

 _"We're doing what we can, but we've yet to find them. They're always on the move."_

"I see..." The silver dragon frowned. "For the time being, I'll keep these Guardians from entering Warfang for their own safety. Once I've found Albanion's group, I'll lead them to the Guardians."

 _"Do as you will."_ The dragoness nodded.

"Where is Cyrus? Has he been intercepted?"

 _"Alas, he hasn't. The boy's party is insistent on venturing into Warfang. All we can do is adjust our plans accordingly."_

"I see..." The old dragon sighed. "Well, thank you for speaking with me, milady. I must return to my work."

 _"May the Ancestors look after you."_ She said.

The silver dragon opened his eyes, and the dragoness was gone. He stood up on all fours and spread out his wings. With a frown, he looked up at the stars in the sky.

"Rune... Cyrus..." He whispered. "Please, stay in one place. Let us find you."

~~...~~

"Ugh. Blasted traffic." Wraith grunted.

He drove the wagon forwards from the driver's seat, urging the horses onwards. Lilith sat behind him, keeping an eye on Cyrus and Tina. The pair were resting all night long.

For two days the group had travelled east. They had left the region of Avalar the previous night, and were now making their way along the veros outskirts. It was quite late when the vicinity of Warfang became visible. Far up in the heavens, the twin moons could be seen hovering over the world. Wraith had hoped for a decent, if boring travel to Warfang proper. But trouble started when a caravan of carriages starting coming from the opposite direction.

Wraith had to keep steering left and right to avoid an onslaught of cheetahs riding in wagons. Just when he thought he was out of a "lane", he'd end up nearly colliding with another wagon.

"It's bad enough with it being dark as a dungeon." Wraith sneered. "Why do I have to contend with an infinite supply of cheetahs?"

As Wraith swerved to get out of the way of another wagon, one of the wheels ran over a rock. Cyrus and Tina were shoved against the side of their wagon. The prince banged his head against a box and grunted as he awoke.

"Hey, what gives?" Cyrus complained.

"Sorry, Your Highness." Wraith said as he brought the wagon to the farthest left he could go without going off the main road. "I'm having to contend with a lot of traffic tonight."

"Traffic?" Cyrus asked curiously. After double-checking to see if his shroud of darkness was still intact, the prince stuck his head out the side. He sat back and groaned. "I can't believe this. We can't have any delays on our trip to Warfang!"

"It's quite strange, isn't it." Lilith remarked. "I've never seen so many folks leaving Warfang at one time before."

"Do you think that something's happened in the city?" Wraith asked.

"What could have-?" Cyrus began to ask, but then stopped himself. His eyes went wide, as one thing in particular came to mind. "Oh no."

"Hmm?" Lilith looked down at the prince. "What's wrong, my prince?"

Cyrus started shaking. He wrapped his tail about himself, struggling to keep himself calm.

"You don't think... it's happened, do you?" Cyrus asked.

"What are you talking abou-?" Wraith stopped when it dawned on him. He sighed and shook his head. "Well, I don't know, Your Highness. If an assault on Warfang was going to happen, I'd think that the king would notify us."

"That might not be true." Lilith said. "As far as he knows, we're long gone on our search for the prince."

"What should we do, then?" Cyrus asked.

"Well, the only way to find out is to continue on to Warfang." Wraith said. "Let's try not to lose our heads, alright?"

"Okay..." Cyrus said nervously.

Wraith had the horses veer off to the far left, completely off the main road. He had them pick up the pace, so they could get within decent viewing distance of the city proper...

~~...~~

When Blankridge and the others woke up, they used the compass to immediately find their way to north. The caverns seemed to blend into each other for the most part, no matter how big they grew. Nellie was flying at the lead beside Emerald. Blankridge and Roxanne flew just behind them.

"These caverns seem to just go on forever, don't they?" Roxanne asked.

"Yeah..." Blankridge said uneasily. "I guess they do."

Emerald didn't say anything. She seemed to carry her bad attitude with her from the previous night. Blankridge was relieved, if only because it meant she'd stop yelling at the others.

"Hey guys, do you see that?" Nellie asked.

"What, Nellie?" Roxanne wondered, flying over to her.

"Look, over there." Nellie pointed with her forepaw. "I think I see something."

Blankridge and the others looked where Nellie was pointing. Far off in the distance, there was a bright light shining from what looked like the ceiling. But as they got closer, they discovered that a long staircase going up higher and higher.

"Do you think that's the way out?" Roxanne asked. "Where does it lead?"

"There's only one way to find out!" Blankridge declared. He zoomed past the girls and made for the light.

"Blank, wait up!" Nellie called. She chased after him, followed closely by the others.

The light grew brighter and brighter, until it was almost blinding. Once Blankridge was close enough, he discovered that the light was shaped like a box. It wasn't until he slammed into something hard that he realized it was a doorway.

"Oof..." Blankridge rubbed his head. "I think I found a way out."

The girls were just behind Blankridge, just in time for him to push the doorway wide open. He stepped through into the light... and found himself in a deserted alleyway.

~~...~~

After so much travel, and with the twin moons prominent in the sky, three groups of dragons finally arrived at the gates of the city of Warfang. Blankridge and the younglings emerged from a cave entrance from the south. Cyrus and the undercover Deep Shadows arrived in a carriage from the west. And Albanion and his elite ensemble approached from the east. None of the three groups were aware of the others, but they all knew the same thing.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Instead of hearing the hustle and bustle one might expect from a city so large, there was next to nothing. Black storm clouds raged over Warfang, pelting the city with an endless storm. High above the Dragon Spire, there floated a great black fortress. The Nexus loomed over all of Warfang, the eye of the storm.

"Oh no..." Cyrus muttered, his eyes wide.

"What is THAT thing?" Nellie asked, scared out of her wits.

"So, our lord really has succeeded." Albanion said with a mournful sigh.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

To be honest, I don't have anything to say here. So I guess I'll just move on with business going as usual for now. I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to what comes next. See you next time!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	22. Act 2, Chapter 8

Rune had been trapped in this strange bedroom for the last few days.

When he first woke up, his shroud of darkness was gone. Rune checked himself over to see if he had any bindings or wounds on his features. He felt relatively fine, but he couldn't be sure if anything happened to him while he was unconscious.

 _Who was that dragoness?_ Rune wondered. He hopped down from the mattress and looked around. _What is this place, and why was I brought here?_

Rune could tell right away that the bedroom belonged to a youngling. But it wasn't until he got a good look at the portraits lined on the walls that he could guess who it belonged to. Most of the portraits continued a young black dragon, who Rune mistook for himself at first. He had the same black face, but the horns and other minute features were clearly different.

 _It must be my brother_ , Rune nodded.

A few of the portraits were of Albanion and Elza. One portrait in particular had Albanion looking embarrassed as a hatchling Rune rode atop his back while Elza chuckled. Rune couldn't help but smile at the sight.

 _I hope those two are okay._

One of the largest of the portraits hung across the way from the small bed, just over a wooden desk. A younger version of Rune sat beside Cyrus, both of whom were being hugged by a grey dragoness. An elderly black dragon stood beside the dragoness, and the whole family faced down towards the view.

Rune sat on his haunches as he studied the painting. He turned his head to the side a few times as he studied the faces of the adult dragons.

 _That's my grandfather Urobos._ Rune nodded. _And that's... my mother._

He had forgotten about them for six long years. Up until this point, he only have vague shadows of this family floating in the subconscious of his mind. But now, Rune could finally look into the faces of family he'd lost so long ago. Or at the very least, a painting's portrayal of what they looked like.

Rune felt his throat choke up a bit. He shut his eyes to stop himself from crying.

 _It's just a portrait._ Rune told himself as he stood up tall. _It's nothing to... cry... about..._

Rune collapsed to the floor, unable to hold it back any longer. Fragmented memories of his family's smiling faces flooded in. Rune put his forepaws over his eyes and sniffled. A pain Rune had never known tore away at his heart. A horribly longing to see dragons he had forgotten that he missed. Rune stood up tall and shut his eyes, trying in vain to make the pain go away.

Once the tears finally stopped, Rune opened his eyes and looked at the portrait again. As he studied his family's faces again, he realized something he hadn't before; his father wasn't present. Rune turned to look around at the other portraits in the room. There was himself, his brother, his extended family... but no image of his father.

 _Why isn't my father in any of these frames_? Rune wondered. _There should be at least one image of him, right?_

And yet no matter how hard Rune looked, he couldn't find an image of his father. It became like a nagging hole in the back of his mind. He couldn't remember what his father looked like, and it was driving him mad. But as Rune was getting agitated, he heard a voice in the back of his mind.

 _ **Well, this has been quite the strange turn of events, hasn't it young dragon?**_

"Chronicler?" Rune looked up and around. He wasn't sure why he did that at this point; he still wasn't even sure where this mysterious voice came from. "It's been a while."

 _ **Indeed. I see you have made progress on your trek to the Well of Souls.**_

"I have?" Rune asked. "But... I think I've been kidnapped."

 _ **Perhaps yes, perhaps no.**_ The Chronicler replied. _**You've been taking to Warfang. Specifically, the fortress floating above Warfang.**_

"I am?" Rune blinked. He turned and dashed towards the nearby window to look out it.

Be careful, young dragon!

Right as Rune was going to stick his muzzle through the window, a purple flash exploded before him. He yelped and fell backwards onto his rear. Purple lightning crackled around the window before fading from existence.

"What the...?" Rune scrambled to get back onto his paws. "What was that?"

 _ **Convexity magic, young dragon.**_ The Chronicler said. _**The entire room you're in has been magically sealed off.**_

Rune's eyes went wide. "You mean... I'm trapped in here?"

 _ **For the time being, yes. But don't lose your head just yet, young dragon. All you have to do is take a breath, and formulate a plan.**_

"Okay..." Rune shut his eyes to take a breath. "What should I do first?"

 _ **The first thing you should do is-**_

The doorknob started rattling. Rune gasped and hid around the back side of the mattress. He took a deep breath and called upon his fire breath, just in case. Rune watched as the door slowly opened, and a pair of guards stepped into the room. They had silver hides and were quite muscular, standing on either side of the door. A dragoness followed the guards inside, holding a food tray in her muzzle.

Rune immediately recognized the dragoness as the one who knocked him out back in that village. He let out a low growl and built his magic up for an attack.

The dragoness sighed and put the tray on the floor. "Please don't waste any of our time with attacking, young prince."

Rune carefully stood up to glare at the dragoness. She frowned, brushing the mane out from over her face. Rune glanced to the left and right of her at the guards. Since they were dark dragons, whatever elements they had was a mystery. Trying to fight them would prove useless. So with a sigh of defeat, Rune let his magic fade away.

"Your name is... Rune, yes?" She asked. "My name is Rose. I serve under your father, the king."

"AND you're the one who forcibly dragged me here." Rune spat. "You struck me upside the head!"

"Yes, and I apologize." Rose bowed her head. "At the time, I believed that you were really your brother in disguise. Much has happened, both recently and over the last few years. I don't have enough time to explain everything."

"Well, why are you keeping me locked up in this room?" Rune demanded.

"This was done on the order of the king." Rose picked her head back up again. "Until he has the time to come see you personally, he's keeping you under a close watch."

"I see..." Rune glanced over at the window that shocked him. Rose noticed this, and frowned.

"That barrier was put there by the king as well." She said. "It's only there as a safety precaution."

"It nearly shocked me out of my scales." Rune spat.

"Please, don't try breaking out. It's not our intention to make you feel like a prisoner." Rose picked up the tray and carried it over to the wooden desk. "Here, we've brought you lunch."

Rune watched her suspiciously as she lifted the lid off the tray. It smelled like an assortment of fruits that he wasn't familiar with. He carefully stepped up to the desk, his eyes keeping watch on Rose and the guards. Rose backed away as Rune sat in the chair and looked down at the fruit.

"Someone will come by in half an hour to retrieve the tray." Rose said. "When the come by, just give it to them. And if there's anything you'd like, just ask and someone will bring it to you, my prince."

Rune didn't answer her. He just picked up a piece of fruit and started eating it. He heard Rose back away towards the door, but still refused to look.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your meal." Rose said as she stepped through the door. "And again, I'm sorry for using force to bring you here. I hope I can make it up to you in the near future."

The guards followed Rose out and the door was closed. Rune could hear some magical spell take hold somewhere outside the door. He looked towards it and sighed.

"Well, I guess I'm stuck here for the time being." He said. "I don't know how I'm going to get to the Well of Souls."

 _ **Just bide your time for now, young dragon.**_ The Chronicler said. _**The way forwards will be revealed to you in time.**_

"If you say so..."

And biding his time was exactly what Rune did for those few days...

~~...~~

Albanion and his allies flew over the wall of Warfang and made their way through the storm. They had removed their shrouds; they wouldn't need them here. Millions of droplets soaked every inch of the deep shadows' robes. As the trio flew towards the Dragon Spire, they looked down at the mostly-barren streets.

The orphanages and hatcheries scattered about Warfang were emptied out and systematically torn down. Many of the dismantled buildings were put under construction. A few Poison dragons were planting grass and other plants in the razed gardens and parks. And all the while, thunder bellowed in the sky.

"My goodness, look at this destruction." Aegis said with a grimace. "You would think our lord wanted to completely destroy Warfang."

"Of course not." Albanion replied with a scowl. "But he certainly came close."

"Well, maybe some good could come from this." Elza suggested. "Look at the work they're doing to rebuild. Perhaps the cheetahs and moles could be convinced to return to Warfang?"

"If only life were so simple..." Albanion sighed.

The trio kept flying until they were within landing distance of the Dragon Spire. The Nexus floated just above the Palace of Kings.

"Where should we land?" Aegis asked. "The fortress, or the Spire?"

"I'd rather stay out of that fortress for as long as I can." Albanion snarled. "We'll land at the Spire."

"What's the problem?" Elza asked.

"Oh, you know that I've never liked setting foot in that fortress." Albanion snorted. "Too many awful memories tied to it..."

Elza and Aegis exchanged glances, but said nothing else. They just followed Albanion as he glided down to the base of the Dragon Spire.

Down below, a number of poison dragons were tending to the plants in the garden just before the gates of the Spire. Albanion came to a harsh landing on the cobblestone pathway, while his companions landed just behind him. A few wind dragons were standing guard and watched them approach.

"Greetings, Sir Albanion." The guard on the left said. He and his companions saluted. "And greetings, Sir Aegis and Lady Elza."

"Good evening." Albanion said as he approached. "Where is our lord?"

"Last we've been told, the king is up in The Nexus." The guard on the right said. "He's tending to the many younglings who've been... ahem, _collected_ from around Warfang."

"Oh he is, is he?" Albanion nodded. "Very well. How much of the Dragon Spire has been renovated?"

"The project is still currently underway." The first guard said. "But enough space has been cleared out to make use as a sleeping quarters."

"Hmm..." Albanion turned to look between Elza and Aegis. He stepped over towards a vacant part of the garden, motioning for them to follow him. Once they were away from prying eyes and ear frills, he whispered to them. "We've been travelling for quite a long while. What do you say we take up some temporary sleeping space for the night?"

"Well, we have been going from place to place quite frequently, lately." Aegis said. "I wouldn't mind getting some real relaxation on a decent bed before we leave to continue our search."

"I'm not entirely comfortable with leaving so soon." Elza replied. "I'm dreadfully worried about Rune and Cyrus, but I'm uncomfortable knowing that so many other younglings are being kept under lock and key so soon. I feel we should investigate to make sure they're unharmed."

"Aye..." Albanion sighed. "Well then, let's head inside."

Albanion led his companions back over towards the gates of the Dragon Spire. As they stepped in, Albanion glanced up at The Nexus as it loomed overhead. He snorted and shut his eyes.

 _Darn you, Baneth._

~~...~~

"No, Mommy!" A young wind dragon whimpered. "I don't want to go to sleep!"

"Please, little one. Don't fight it." The youngling's mother said. "It's for your own good."

The two stood amongst a line of other dark dragon families. They somberly approached a large chamber in the lower levels of The Nexus. Bane stood watch at the other end of the chamber, alongside General Grail.

After transforming the entire dragonling population of Warfang, Bane had them all sent to the chamber. Bane had also decreed that all naturally-born dark dragon children would be put in the same chamber. Once gathered together there, the children would be placed in a magically-induced hibernation for the time being.

Bane watched as, one by one, the dark dragon families placed their young on the many mattresses in the wide chamber. Many of them were sad, but none dared to question the king. Bane did his best to put on a cold, emotionless facade.

 _It's for their own good._ The black king told himself. _The children must sleep until the time is right._

The wind dragon youngling from before was struggling to break from his mother's grip. They were almost up next to enter the chamber.

"I don't wanna!" The youngling exclaimed. "Why are you forcing me, Mommy?"

"N-Nothing bad is going to happen to you, darling." The mother said, struggling to keep her voice from breaking. "It'll only be for a little while. You won't even remember going to sleep when you wake up."

"But it's scary in there!" The youngling cried.

Bane heard Grail snarling beside him. The General stood up and approached the wind dragons. Bane sighed and looked away.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Grail demanded. He easily towered over the dragoness, which made her shiver in fright.

"N-Nothing's the matter, sir." The dragoness stuttered. "It's j-just that my son is protesting a bit. I'm doing my best to calm him down."

"I wanna go home!" The youngling shouted and shook about. Grail rolled his eye in contempt.

"You're doing a very poor job controlling him." The General said. He snatched the youngling out of his mother's grip and lifted him up in the air.

"Put me down!" The youngling screamed, flailing his paws madly. The other dragons in line gasped at the sight.

Without a word, Grail struck the youngling in the back of the neck with the flat side of his forepaw. The youngling was knocked out instantly while his mother shrieked.

"There." The General said as he put the youngling down before the dragoness. "He is pacified."

The dragoness was in tears as she picked up her child. She looked up in fear at Grail as he glared at her.

"Next time, calm your child down before such extremes are required to keep the peace." Grail stepped back and motioned with a wing for her to enter. "Now get moving."

"Y... Yes, sir." The dragoness replied. She bent her head low and walked into the chamber, tears falling from her eyes.

Bane sighed at the sight. Grail was always a blunt dragon, even during his younger years.

"You bastard!" A fear dragon shouted from across the way. "Is that any way to handle a child?!"

Grail turned and snarled at the other drake. "What I do to handle younglings is none of your business!"

"Why should we keep all of our children in that chamber anyway?!" Another dragon demanded.

"That is what our king has decreed." Grail declared. "Every dark dragon must obey his orders."

"But why?" A poison dragoness asked. "What good will come of locking our kids away?"

"If our king decrees something, then it's for the greater good." Grail said. He turned his eye towards Bane. "Isn't that right, Your Highness?"

"Of course." Bane nodded. "For now, it's for the best that all of the children stay in this chamber."

"What about YOUR child?" Another fear dragon shouted.

Bane glared. "Excuse me?"

"There's a rumor floating around that the Deep Shadows found the prince!" The dragon exclaimed. "And instead of being with the other younglings, he's gotten special treatment!"

Bane didn't want to respond. He turned away and shut his eyes. Luckily, Grail did the talking for him.

"Those are just rumors, you fools!" Grail snapped. "The missing prince wouldn't be treated any better than the other younglings!"

"It's easy to SAY that." The fear dragon said, pointing an accusing talon. "But how do we know he's telling the truth?!"

"You would distrust the will of our king?" The General hissed. "Anyone who defies the king answers to ME!"

Many of the younglings in line whimpered and hid behind their parents. Bane sighed and stepped up beside the General.

"Grail, you're being a tad too aggressive with them." The king whispered into Grail's ear frill. "You're scaring the children."

"The people are asking too many questions, sire." The General grunted. "I'm only trying to enforce the orders **you** gave me."

"Of course I know that..." Bane glanced at the line of dragons. Most of them waited impatiently for an answer from the king. He turned back to Grail. "All I ask is that you keep a level head."

"I see..." Grail snorted. "As you wish, my king."

Bane backed up to look down the line once again. With a sigh, he turned and walked away.

"Hey, come back!' One of the dragons in the crowd exclaimed.

"That's no way to talk to your king." Grail snapped. And thus, did the bickering continue. At the very least there were no more threats of violence. With a sigh, Bane stepped through a shadow to teleport away.

 _They mustn't know. Not yet_. Bane shook his head as he appeared in the courtyard of The Nexus. _Once all of the children are hibernating, I can keep them from witnessing the more gruesome part of the plan._

Bane looked around at the courtyard. Several fear dragons were standing guard around the perimeter of the fortress. Half a dozen crepsculi surrounded each pair of guards. Bane nodded in approval and looked up at the sky. The twin moons hung in the distance, like always. Bane almost feared they might disappear if he didn't keep checking on them. Lastly, Bane followed the light of the moons towards the tallest tower of The Nexus. There, behind the magically-sealed window, lay in wait Bane's son.

 _Rune..._ Bane sat back on his haunches in thought.

For the last few days, Bane couldn't bring himself to see the youngling. He still wasn't even completely sure it really was him. Bane was taken aback by Albanion's report some time ago that Rune was alive. The king had brushed it off then, but he didn't expect Rose to claim to have found him by accident. It just couldn't be true... could it? And even if it were true, Bane had so much to worry about that addressing the issue was out of the question.

 _The Night of Eternal Darkness will be here soon..._ Bane shut his eyes and tilted his head back to bask in the moonlight. _Perhaps... I should take the chance I have now to go see him..._

"Your Highness!" Some called out.

Bane opened up his eyes in time to see Nerona come to a landing nearby. She was followed by a group of wind dragons. All of them were struggling to catch their breath.

"What is the problem, Nerona?" Bane demanded.

"We have a major problem, Your Highness." Nerona exclaimed. "These scouts just flew in from the eastern wall!"

Bane turned to glare at the scouts. "What did you see?"

"An entire battalion has camped not too far from Warfang!" One of the wind dragons shouted. "Light dragons are on the verge of attacking!"

The surrounding group of dark dragons all stopped what they were doing to gasp. Bane's eyes went wide for a moment, but he immediately put on the grave face of a king. He sat back on his haunches and cleared his throat.

"All of you, remain calm!" The black king bellowed. Everyone stopped and looked towards the king in alarm. He took a calming breath and began delegating orders.

"Soldiers, ready whatever defenses have been prepared!" Bane exclaimed.

"Yes, Your Highness!" The closest soldiers saluted and rushed off.

"Make sure all the younglings and non-combatants are kept safely indoors." The black king declared. Many of the mystics and healers among the dark dragons saluted and dashed off. Finally, Bane turned his eyes towards Nerona.

"Nerona, summon Grail to my side! We shall all give these light dragons a _warm welcome_."

"As you command, my liege." Nerona bowed her head. She immediately ran off to go find the General.

Bane turned his eyes back towards the tower that his son was hidden in. He sighed and looked away.

 _You will just have to wait, my son._

~~...~~

Great metal carriages thundered across the outskirts on their journey to Warfang.

Commander Saul received a private message from Pappas Richteriel a few nights ago, and he wasted no time bringing his battalion across the way to the north. The battalion didn't stop travelling until they were within flying distance of the city. When the commander stepped out of his main carriage, he finally saw the storm-clouds for himself.

"By the ancestors..." Saul muttered. "What the Pappas said was true."

The Commander had his men set up a temporary base of operations to the southeast of Warfang. Saul began planning on a skirmish to storm the city. It wouldn't be an easy feat, but Saul knew he had to do what he could to reclaim Warfang for Richteriel. The base was strategically set up near a series of hills and valleys that housed a secret tunnel system. All Saul had to do was send a few soldiers in to locate the Pappas, and then he could begin plans of a sneak attack.

It was close to the middle of the night as Saul was standing in the middle of his war tent. He and a few of his advisors stood around a table that had a schematic of Warfang splayed out. A cheetah was going around the table, pouring the dragons drinks form a pitcher of water.

"The major gates of Warfang are to the south, east and west." Saul said. "We'll have to focus our attention on the southern gate until we receive reinforcements from Avalar and Faeshrine."

"We can afford to send at least a dozen soldiers into the underground." An earth dragon said. "But we can only spare so many lanterns."

"Understood." Saul said. "Knowing the Pappas, he'll be able to sense the soldiers coming far before they find him."

"But what do we do if they encounter dark dragons in those tunnels?" Another earth dragon asked.

"With any luck, that shouldn't be a problem." Saul chuckled. "Rumors have been spread that the old ruins were destroyed ages ago. And beside, many of doorways to the tunnels have been well-hidden."

"Even so, Commander, we're better off safe than sorry." The first earth dragon said.

"Fair enough." Saul waved him off. "Arm them how you see fit."

"Saul?" A voice asked from behind. The Commander turned around to see Olivia stepping through the flap of the war tent. Saul sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"This isn't the best time, honey." Saul said. "I've got a lot of work to do."

"I know that..." Olivia frowned. She stepped forwards to rub her forehead against Saul's neck. "But I haven't been able to speak with you all day."

"Don't you understand what I'm doing, Olivia?" Saul demanded. He motioned towards the table with his wing. "I have to begin the plans to retake Warfang from those... those savages. Your father is lost in the ruins beneath Warfang because of them!"

"I course I understand, Saul." Olivia replied, stepping closer. "All I'm asking is that you spend some time with your son. Jonathan's terrified of what's happened, and I've done all I can to comfort him. He needs you too."

Saul's glare weakened. "Johnny's upset?"

"Of course, Saul." Olivia nodded. "He's been huddled up in his tent since you put together this base of yours."

Saul nervously bit his lower lip. He looked away from Olivia, trying not to make eye contact with his associates. Perhaps he had gotten so caught up on his trek to the holy capital that he neglected to spend time with Jonathan. Saul had become obsessed with tracking down the Horus's murderer, and his priorities only spiraled further out of control the closer he got to Warfang.

"Alright..." Saul said. He took a deep breath and turned to face his wife. "Olivia, I'm sorry."

Olivia responded by stepping forwards and nuzzling Saul's face.

"There's still time to make things right, Saul." She said as she backed up to look into his eyes.

"But sir, what about the plans?" The earth dragon asked.

"We still have time for arrangements." Saul said. "For now, I need to see my-"

A great loud shriek echoed in the distance. Everyone gasped and looked towards the north. Saul's mane nearly stood on end. One of the cheetahs nearly dropped a pitcher of water.

"What in blazes was that?!" Saul exclaimed.

He ran forwards to exit the tent, Olivia hot on his heels. Saul looked around at the night sky, trying to spot the source of the commotion. After only a minute of looking around, he spotted a scout rushing forwards towards him. The wolf was nearly out of breath as he came to a stop before the commander.

"S-Sir!" The wolf exclaimed. "There's trouble to the north!"

"What's happened?" Olivia asked. "Who was screaming?"

"Strange beasts started erupting from the ground just outside of the camp!" The sentry shouted. "They've started causing havoc for the soldiers!"

"Strange beasts?" Saul repeated. A chill crept along his spine. He was reminded of a certain type of monster that raided the Dragon Spire, according to what the Pappas said.

"Sir, what do we do?" The sentry asked.

Saul growled for a minute. Of all the times for something to happen, why now? Why right when he was going to speak to his son. The commander glanced towards Olivia, who stood there waiting uneasily for a response.

"I'm not trying to get out of talking to Johnny." Saul said. "I have an obligation to see what this threat is about personally. It have something to do with a warning Richteriel gave me.

Olivia sighed in defeat. "I understand, Saul. Go tend to your warriors."

Saul looked down at her with a frown. He nudged her forehead and spoke softly into her ear frill.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." He said sweetly.

"I believe you." She whispered back. With that said, Saul backed up, spread his wings, and took off.

Saul flew to the northernmost part of the base as quick as his wings could carry him. Sure enough, he saw the countless red eyes of snarling beasts amongst the darkness of the night. Many of Saul's soldiers had begun blasting the monsters with their magic to fend them off.

 _By the Ancestors, it's just as the Pappas said..._

Saul came to a landing and immediately unleashed a boulder-sized earth bomb at a dozen of the creatures. Though those few creatures were destroyed, their brethren rose up from the darkness to take their place. Saul unleashed a few more blasts of magic to destroy the monsters, but they just kept coming back. And that was when Saul realized something; no matter how fiercely his soldiers attacked the beasts, none of them fought back. They just stood there, snarling and hissing like a wall of darkness with a thousand red eyes.

"Something is seriously wrong here." The commander growled. "Why aren't they attacking?"

"Commander, look to the sky!" One of his soldiers exclaimed and pointed a talon to the air. Saul followed the soldier's gaze, and his eyes went wide with surprise and alarm.

Three dragons flew out from the night sky to come to a harsh landing just behind the wall of monsters. The burly drake on the left and the slender dragoness on the right were dressed in dark robes... while the dragon in the middle was as black as the night. The black dragon locked his golden eyes with the commander, who immediately recognized his face from long ago.

"You..." Saul scowled. He moved to storm forwards, but the beasts kept him at bay.

"It's been too long, Saul." The black dragon replied with a cold demeanor. "I see you've made quite a name for yourself."

"Baneth!" The commander snapped with rage. Saul dug his talons into the ground. Years of pent up aggression, mixed with a thirst for vengeance, swelled up in his being. "BANETH!"

"You will refer to him as King Bane." The burly drake stomped his paws and gnashed his fangs.

"Enough of that, grail." Bane extended a wing before the burly dragon. "I had expected that criminal Richteriel to send for reinforcements... but I didn't think it'd be you, Saul."

"I am COMMANDER Saul now." The earth dragon sneered. "And how dare you call the Pappas a criminal, when you're the one who's ransacked Warfang and murdered so many light dragon authority figures?!"

"What I did to those... authority figures." Saul could hear the distaste on Bane's tongue... "Was nothing more than retribution. The Order of Culmubrae is responsible for the deaths of my people, and Richteriel is the most vile of them all."

A great number of Saul's soldiers started spewing hatred and swears at the black dragon. Saul glanced back at the battalion and smirked. The dragons accompanying Bane snarled, but the black king himself was unperturbed.

"Your words fall on deaf ear frills, Baneth." Saul replied. "Were it not for your host of pets, I'd have you executed for your crimes against light dragons."

"Threaten me all you want." Bane continued. "But just know that I'm letting you off with a warning... for now."

"Oh, how _generous_ of you." Saul sneered. "You grant me _such_ a great reprieve, my king."

Bane continued glaring at the commander. He extended his leathery wings and inhaled deeply. Before Saul could chastise the black drake again, Bane exhaled and shot purple flames from his nostrils. Saul flinched and stepped back.

"C... Convexity?" Saul exclaimed. "Where did you get that?!"

"Where I got it is none of your concern." Bane said as cold as ever. "What you see amassed before your battalion is but a mere fraction of what I'm capable of. This is your first and only warning, Saul; keep away from Warfang, or you will suffer."

Saul stood up as tall as he could. He gave his most menacing glare at the black drake.

"You won't get away with this, Baneth." He spat. "It won't be long before other light dragons learn of what you've done. You think this ruining the lives of all that lived in Warfang will make everyone accept you back into the Dragon Realms?"

Bane's eye briefly twitched.

"Warfang was stolen from my people. We are taking it **back**." He snapped.

"And with what kind of means is this?" Saul gestured to the wall of snarling monsters. "Look at these abominations. What kinds of havoc have you wrought, Baneth? Do you think Urobos would approve of your methods?"

"SILENCE!" The burly drake snarled. "Don't you DARE use Lord Urobos's name against us!"

"Enough, Grail." Bane snapped. He took a quick breath. "Don't let this... _Commander_ get under your scales."

"Oh, but I have, haven't I?" Saul chuckled. "I can see you shaking, Baneth. You put up a very intimidating facade, but I can see through your darkness. You've committed horrible crimes, oh king, and your people will suffer for it."

The black dragon gave Saul a horrible, deathly glare. Saul quietly took a breath of his own; it was a challenge to be intimidating in the face of all those beasts. Their red eyes were always watching him... truly they were more of a fright than the black dragon himself. Not that Saul would admit that in front of his soldiers.

"Warfang belongs to the Dark Dragon Monarchy." The black king said. "I've given you your warning, Saul. Don't even think about attacking."

"Oh, I get the picture..." Saul fanned out his wings. "But you had best watch your back, Baneth."

The black king snorted in response. The burly drake growled, but said nothing. The dragoness looked at Saul with a smirk.

"You'd best stay on your talons, Commander." Elza smirked. "None can taunt the Dark Master and dream of escaping unscathed."

Dark Master? Saul leaned back in confusion. But before he could utter another word, a great pool of darkness appeared beneath the black dragon's paws. It spread out to his companions, and they suddenly vanished in a cloud of darkness. The hordes of beasts, meanwhile, slowly backed away from the camp. Saul heard his men mutter worriedly as the creatures slunk into the darkness of the night. Soon enough, all that remained was their blood-red eyes, until they too disappeared into the night.

Saul took a sigh of relief. He turned around to look at his soldiers.

"Set up watchmen around the perimeter of the camp." He ordered. "Make sure nobody sneaks up on us in the middle of the night again!"

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers exclaimed.

Saul spread his wings and took off towards the center of the camp again. He struggled to shake the shivers from his spine.

 _Accursed dark dragons,_ he snarled. _I'll get back at them, if it's the last thing I do._

~~...~~

After looking around for a short while, Cyrus could one thing: He was in deep, deep trouble.

His group abandoned their carriage and snuck into Warfang via shadowy teleportation. The last thing Cyrus wanted was for the city to be overthrown before he had a chance to find the light dragons necessary to complete the collection of elements. But now his plans were thrown into ruin. He couldn't let any of the dark dragons see him, whether with his shroud on or not. So, Cyrus decided to take his shroud off for the time being.

Wraith and Lilith decided to commandeer one of the many abandoned houses near the center of Warfang's residential district. It had belonged to a family of fire dragons; that was clear enough from the scattered portraits of the family. Much of the furniture was torn apart or burned; signs of some kind of struggle.

"Heh, what cruel irony." Wraith rolled his eyes. He picked up a torn portrait and hung it back on the wall. "I hope they're all okay."

Cyrus sat down on a couch, his head bent low. Tina sat beside him, having been woken up by her mother. Lilith was doing her best to clean up the kitchen.

"I hate taking food that doesn't belong to us," Lilith sighed, "But we still need to feed the children. Maybe we can make it up to the family... if they ever return."

"Make sure it's only the bare essentials." Wraith nodded. He turned towards Cyrus. "Are you okay, my prince?"

"I'm fine..." Cyrus sighed. He looked up at Wraith, struggling not to cry. "What are we going to do now?"

Wraith grimaced. He opened his muzzle to saw something, only to close it and frowned.

"Well... Beats me, your highness." Wraith said with a shrug. "At the moment, it's safe for Lilith and I to walk around Warfang. We can always make the claim that we're stopping by to replenish our supplies... But honestly, I'd rather lay low for now. And that's not to mention the whole 'the light dragons are missing' problem."

"Do you think it's possible that some of them managed to escape into hiding?" Tina asked. "I mean, it's possible, right? The light dragons on the outer edges of Warfang must have had time to get away before the storm hit."

"That's an interesting idea, Tina." Lilith said as she walked across the foyer. "But I don't think it's very likely."

"If any of the light dragons got away, they would have fled to Faeshrine." Wraith said. "We didn't see any on the journey here, after all. Worst case scenario, we'll have to head back west. Or maybe even journey to the southern continent."

"But there's no time for that!" Cyrus exclaimed. "Now that father has taken Warfang, it's only a matter of time before he starts the next phase of his plan! We should head to the Well of Souls immediately!"

"But we're short on fire, earth and ice magic." Wraith shook his head. "Without three dragons with those elements, we can't revive your mother."

"Well, the best thing we could probably do is search Warfang for light dragons in hiding." Lilith said. "And even if we find them, there's no guarantee that they'll be willing to work with us."

"I suppose that could work." Wraith said. He wandered towards a small closet at the side of the living room. "I'll see if there's a detailed map of Warfang around here."

As Wraith and Lilith set to work making a plan, Cyrus stayed sitting on the couch. He turned his eyes towards the floorboards, twiddling his talons to try and pass the time.

"Psst." Tina whispered. Cyrus didn't react at first, keeping his eyes down at the ground. He felt Tina tap his shoulder with her tail a few times, but still didn't pay her any mind. He was too deep in his own thoughts.

 _I can't believe I failed already._ Cyrus sniffed. _I traveled as fast as I could. I went to all the most populated areas... But I just couldn't find any light dragons in time. Now there's not going to be any more time to bring back my mother before the Night of Eternal Darkness. So many people are going to get hurt, and it's all my-._

Tine shoved Cyrus so hard that he nearly fell over onto his side. He quickly composed himself and glared at her.

"Hey, what gives?" Cyrus demanded. Tina just smirked at him.

"Are you really just gonna sit there feeling sorry for yourself?" She whispered.

"Hey, I'm not trying to..." Cyrus started. But he stopped to think about it. Maybe he **was** feeling too sorry about what's happened.

"You know what I think you need to do, Cyrus?" Tina asked with a wink.

"Well... no. What is it?" Cyrus asked, his tail wrapping around his wings.

"You need to show some..." Tina pointed with a wing towards one of the nearby windows. "...Initiative."

Cyrus looked at the window with curiosity.

"There might still be some light dragons hiding in Warfang." Tina said as she got up from the couch. "Are you going to wait for Mom and Wraith to make some complicated plan of action? Or are you going to do what you do best?"

Cyrus turned back towards Wraith and Lilith as they sat at the table in the adjacent room. They were speaking to each other over and over about the intricate details of Warfang. Tina started walking in their direction, but then looked back at Cyrus.

"I'll provide the necessary distraction." Tina whispered with a wink. "Good luck."

The wheels turned quickly in Cyrus's mind. He carefully scooted over to the window as Tina started speaking to the adult dragons.

"Hey Mom, I was wondering a few things about Warfang." Tina said. "Was the Dragon Spire always there?"

"Oh, not at all." Lilith shook her head. "You see, many years ago..."

Cyrus waited for a minute or two to make sure that the Deep Shadows were thoroughly distracted. When he saw that neither one had their eyes turned towards him, Cyrus slowly opened the window and climbed through it. He found that it opened up to a narrow alleyway, so he glided down to a few garbage cans. He grimaced; their contents hadn't been disposed off.

 _Well, I'm out._ Cyrus shrugged and took a few steps forwards. _Time to see if there are any light dragons still in the city._

"Hey, what are you doing?!" A voice shouted, catching Cyrus off-guard. He looked up to see Wraith's head sticking out the window, his eyes fuming.

"Get back up here!" Wraith exclaimed. "You'll get caught if you run around without a shroud, you dummy!"

"Nothing's going to get accomplished if I just sit around." Cyrus replied. "I'll be back later!"

"Oh no you don't!" Wraith shouted. The deep shadow moved to teleport after Cyrus. But the prince moved a split-second faster, disappearing into a shadow just before Wraith could reach him. The crimson dragon searched around, frantically trying to locate where the prince went.

"Damnit, damnit, damnit!" Wraith looked up at the window. Lilith and Tina were now curiously peering down to the alleyway. Wraith called up to Lilith. "Come on! Let's go get him before he does something stupid... **er**."

"Right..." Lilith sighed. She turned to look at her daughter. "Wait here, Tina. Hopefully we'll be right back."

"Alright, Mom." Tina nodded.

"And don't go poking your head out the windows." Lilith pointed with a talon. "We don't want anyone to see you."

"Alright, I get it." Tina rolled her eyes. "Just go get him already."

With a satisfied nod, Lilith made her way out the front door of the house and quickly caught up with Wraith. The two deep shadows began their search for the prince...

~~...~~

Blankridge, Nellie, Emerald and Roxanne stayed very low and very quiet as they travelled out of the alleyway.

None of them had ever been to Warfang before, but they had heard many stories about what it was supposed to be like; a great big, hustling and bustling city filled with countless citizens of every race imaginable. But instead, they found themselves in a city shrouded in perpetual storms. Everything was eerily quiet. Most of the streets were barren, with only the occasional dark dragon being seen. Every road was darker and longer than what they were used to back home.

The one thing that unnerved the younglings the most was the great black fortress floating high in the sky.

 _What is that thing?_ Roxanne wondered as she helped Nellie get around a bunch of boxes. _Does it have something to do with those dark dragons? And where are all the light dragons?_

"Wow, this city is HUGE!" Blankridge shouted as he looked around. Emerald quickly shoved him hard in the flank.

"Shut up." She snarled in a low voice.

"Sorry." Blankridge whispered as he massaged his flank.

"The dragoness who took Rune could be anywhere." Nellie said. "Even if she's in Warfang, it'll be next to impossible to find her."

"So, it's not only a question of where to begin looking, but how could we." Emerald said. She stepped forwards ahead of the group to look back at them. "With all these dark dragons wander around, we could get caught at any time."

"Well, we'll just have to be careful." Roxanne said. She fluttered her wings and stepped out onto the street. "Come on, there's nobody here right now."

The others exchanged glances before following Roxanne out of the alleyway. The younglings stayed together as a group, moving from street to street. Whenever they saw a dark dragon, they'd duck into an alleyway and stick by the boxes or garbage cans.

While the group was making their way, Blankridge kept his eyes peeled. He looked this way and that, just in case he happened to spot anything. And by a stroke of luck, he did! As Blankridge turned towards a distant intersecting street, he saw what looked like a black blur dashing across the way.

"Huh?" Blankridge blinked, falling back on his haunches.

"What is it, Blank?" Nellie asked.

"I think I saw something down the way." He replied.

A moment later, that same blur ran by, a street or two closer than before. Blankridge was able to see a few more details. It looked like a young dragon, with glowing symbols on his flanks.

"H-Hey!" Blankridge exclaimed.

"Blank, keep it down." Roxanne whispered harshly.

"But I think I just saw a black dragon just now!" Blankridge insisted. The others gasped and looked in the direction Blankridge focused on.

"Was it Rune?" Roxanne asked, shaking her head around. "Where is he?"

"I didn't say it was Rune." Blankridge said. "But the dragon did look about our age..."

While Blankridge was talking, the black blur ran down another street. The girls gasped, falling back.

"I saw him!" Nellie exclaimed.

Before she could take a step, two dragons cam swooping out of the sky. They were dressed in dark robes and glided in the direction the black blur had gone in.

"Who were they?" Emerald asked in surprise.

"Beats me," Blankridge said, "But I think they're after that black dragon."

"We need to investigate this!" Roxanne shouted. She charged out of the alleyway and made to go down the street. "Come on, guys!"

Blankridge, Nellie and Emerald looked around to see if the cost was clear. Once they were sure of themselves, they followed Roxanne as she pursued the dark dragons.

"Wait, wasn't there only one dark dragon who took Rune?" Emerald asked from beside Blankridge.

"Yeah... but she could have accomplices." Blankridge said. "Like those three we saw in Glenhaven."

"He's right!" Roxanne declared. "Let's get after them!"

"But..." Nellie said quietly from the back. "...Neither of those two really look like any dark dragon we've seen..."

None of the other younglings seemed to hear her. Nellie sighed and ran along in silence...

~~...~~

~~...~~

Cyrus held his breath as he ran about the streets of Warfang.

He hadn't been back in the grand city in years. He had thought that it would remain unchanged forever. And yet, as he passed by an old street he vaguely recalled from his years as a dragonling, everything was different. Newer buildings were in place of the old ones. A river had dried up. And part of the great park had been terra-formed by earth dragons to resemble a chapel. After nearly half an hour of flying around, the prince came to a landing in an old street to catch his breath.

 _Why did I think everything would be the same as when I was a little kid_? Cyrus sighed. _I should have known that the Order would have changed everything. I'll bet I won't even be able to take Tina to see all the sights I wanted to show her._

The streets of Warfang had gotten more and more barren as the night went on. When he first ran about, there'd be at least one or two dark dragons patrolling the streets. But now, he couldn't see anyone within ten whole blocks. Maybe it was because he was in the southern district.

 _Everything is so quiet. It's almost giving me the creeps..._ Cyrus shivered, but shook his head and stood proud. _Almost, but not quiet! I'm not going to get discouraged! There's bound to be some light dragons around here somewhere that haven't been found by Father's soldiers..._

The prince spread his wings and continued flying around. He struggled to surpress a yawn as he swerved to fly into a street he hadn't visited before. His eyes and wings felt heavy the further he went. It wasn't long before he could no longer fly; Cyrus had to glide to a landing in the middle of the road and let loose a big yawn.

 _Maybe I should just let Wraith and Lilith find me_ , Cyrus thought as he rubbed his eyes. _Maybe then I can pass out and get a nap in. I'll deal with their yelling after I wake up..._

Cyrus couldn't help but shut his eyes... only to be startled awake by the sounds of someone approaching. He sprang to his paws and looked around. It sounded like four pairs of feet were running towards his area.

 _Uh-oh..._ Cyrus hurriedly duck into a nearby alleyway, standing still behind a stack of wooden crates. He quietly peered through a crack between two of the boxes to see who was coming. He at first suspected adult dark dragons to come running around the corner. But as the footfalls grew louder, they definitely sounded like those of... younglings.

"Rune, where are you?" A voice called out.

 _Rune?_ Cyrus's face scrunched up in confusion. The prince hadn't thought about his brother ever since the news came that he was potentially alive. But why would these strangers be looking for Rune in Warfang of all places? Maybe Cyrus misheard the youngling.

 _Wait a minute... younglings?_ Cyrus blinked.

Sure enough, four young dragons ran into view, all of them roughly Cyrus's age. Their hides were orange, yellow, green and blue. The prince immediately recognized what they were.

"Light dragons!" Cyrus exclaimed. He immediately cupped his forepaws over his muzzle. _Stupid, stupid, stupid Cyrus!_

"Hey, did you hear that?" The orange one asked, looking around.

"It came from that alleyway." The blue one answered, pointing with a talon.

"Darn it..." Cyrus groaned.

Cyrus backed up a few steps to quickly turn around and fly away. Unfortunately, he wasn't looking where he was going and violently crashed into some garbage cans he didn't see. A great loud racket filled the alleyway as the prince fell hard into the ground. Chunks of garbage spilled allover Cyrus, and he gagged at the smell of rotten food.

"Rune, is that you?" The yellow asked.

"Ugh, that stuff stinks..." The green one grimaced.

Cyrus slowly got up onto his feet, his back facing the strangers. He tried not to puke as he scraped the garbage of his body.

"Damnit, damnit, damnit..." Cyrus grumbled. He nearly lost it when he found an old banana peel on his horn. The prince heard the strangers stepping closer, but he didn't feel like facing them yet.

"Hold on." The orange one said. "This guy can't be Rune. Rune doesn't swear."

Once Cyrus was sure that all of the garbage was off of him, he figured it was much too late to make a run for it now. So, with a sigh and a cleared throat, the prince turned around to face the strangers. They all jumped back in shock, to his surprise and confusion.

"Wow, he looks just like Rune!" The blue girl exclaimed.

"Only... not quite." The green one said. She tilted her head from side to side as if examining him. "The horns are all wrong. And his mane is a little different too."

Cyrus leaned his head back indignantly as the green and orange younglings circled around him. What were they doing?

"I think this guy's shorter, too." The orange boy smirked.

"I'm not short!" Cyrus shouted. He stepped back away from them. "And cut that out!"

"Well, his face is the splitting image of Rune's." The yellow one said. "And his scales are even patterned the same way. He could be Rune's brother!"

"I **am** his brother!" Cyrus shouted stomped on the ground. He then froze in surprise; what had come over him?

The four younglings exchanged curious glances. That's when the blue one gasped suddenly.

"Hey, I get it now." The blue girl said happily. She looked right at Cyrus. "You're the family that Rune was talking about during our journey."

"Hey, yeah." Blankridge grinned. "I guess we're closer to finding him than we thought."

"Wh... What?" Cyrus blinked. "How do you know Rune? And who are you, anyway?"

"My name is Nellie." The blue girl said. "This is my brother Blankridge, and our friends Emerald and Roxanne."

"I'm... I'm Cyrus." The prince said as he looked about curiously. "Pleased to meet ya, I guess. But seriously, how do you all know my brother?"

"Well, it's a little hard to explain." The one named Roxanne began to say. "You see..."

"Your Highness!" A familiar voice called. Cyrus looked up to see Wraith making circles around the area. "Seriously, where are you? It's not safe to just run around randomly!"

"Down here!" Cyrus shout out. Wraith grunted and flew back around until they locked eyes.

"Ah, there you are." The crimson drake grunted. "Lilith, I found him!"

"Who's that?" The boy named Blankridge turned his head up to the sky and squinted.

Cyrus bit his lower lip nervously as Wraith and Lilith glided down to the alleyway. The four younglings seemed shocked by the sight of the deep shadows. Wraith seemed equally shocked, while Lilith looked on with concern. Cyrus had a feeling he'd be in deep trouble if it weren't for everyone's shared confusion.

Wraith came to a landing beside Cyrus. He studied the faces of the younglings, and then gave the prince a stern look.

"Would you care to explain who they are?" Wraith demanded.

"Would you believe..." Cyrus shrugged his shoulders. "These guys know about Rune somehow?"

"My goodness, they're covered in dirt." Lilith frowned. "Are they orphans?"

"Orphans? Are you kidding?" Blankridge scoffed. He stood up proud. "We're from Glenhaven, on a quest to get to the Well of Souls!"

"Blank?!" The girls all shouted at the orange boy angrily. He fell back and clasped his muzzle. Wraith and Lilith, meanwhile, had shocked expressions. They glanced at one another, then back at Cyrus, who gulped and shrunk back.

"What did you...?" Wraith began to ask with a glare.

"I didn't tell them anything, honest!" Cyrus exclaimed.

"What do you all know about the Well of Souls?" The girl named Emerald asked.

"Well, what do you al know about the Well of Souls?" Lilith asked with a frown. "And how do you know about Prince Rune?"

"Well..." The girl named Nellie began to say something, but Roxanne stood in front of her. She studied the robes that Wraith and Lilith were wearing, and then glared.

"Do you work with the dark dragons who harassed us in Glenhaven?" She demanded. "Or the dragoness who abducted Rune?"

"Abducted Rune?" Cyrus repeated in surprise.

Wraith looked back and forth between the light dragon younglings and his companions. he scratched his chin and sighed.

"It seems some explanations are in order."

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

Setting up events in the proper order can be tricky when you've got multiple perspectives to keep track of. I do the best I can to keep everything going in a linear order of time. But sometimes I have to use a loop hole to handle characters that just stop and become inactive for a few "days" at a time. I'm still working on the order of events all the way up to the end of Act 2. Wish me luck. Oh, and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	23. Act 2, Chapter 9

It was quiet and peaceful in the safe house.

Tina was curled up snugly on the couch. She happily rested her head beneath her wing, trying to get herself to sleep. She had been awake for far too long as it is.

I hope Cyrus managed to run into luck searching for light dragons, she thought to herself.

Almost like clockwork, Tina heard the door start to unlock. She peaked her head up in time to see Wraith leading the way inside. What Tina didn't expect to see was four light dragon younglings following behind him.

"Mind your step." Wraith said to them. "And don't break anything. We don't exactly live here. Lilith, could you get them some towels?"

Tina sat up on the couch curiously. After Cyrus and Lilith went inside, Wraith locked the door. The four younglings looked about in the middle of the living room. Cyrus sat down on the couch, using wind magic on himself to dry off. Lilith went into the back and returned with several towels so the younglings could dry off.

"Not a bad place you've got here." Blankridge smirked, shaking the water from his mane.

"It could do with some cleaning up, though." Emerald grimaced.

"Hey, who are these guys?" Tina asked. She flinched back as all the younglings turned their attention towards her.

"These are some light dragon children who've managed to avoid being taken to The Nexus." Wraith answered. He pointed to each one in turn and said their names. "Nellie, Blankridge, Roxanne and Emerald."

"Hello." Nellie smiled.

"Hi!" Blankridge eagerly waved his wings.

"Hey there." Roxanne nodded her head.

"This place is a mess..." Emerald muttered to herself as she looked around.

"Quite a find, Cyrus." Tina snickered at the prince. "Well, I'm Tina. Nice to meetcha."

Lilith gathered up various cushions from around the home and brought them to the living room.

"Here." She said. "You all can lay down on these while you share your stories."

"Thank you, ma'am." Emerald said before going over to sit down. Blankridge promptly dashed across the room and collided with a thud against a cushion. Nellie and Roxanne sat down on either side of Blankridge as he sat up.

"Blank!" Emerald snapped. "Watch what you're doing!"

"My bad..." Blankridge sat up and stretched out his wings.

"Well, I like him." Tina chuckled. Cyrus silently groaned in annoyance, but sat down across from Tina without a word.

Wraith and Lilith sat down on the other side of the living room, watching the children closely.

"So, who wants to go first on explaining what's going on?" Wraith asked. "We've got all night."

"Well, I for one would like an explanation as to what all these children were doing out there." Lilith said. "How did they manage to slip past Lord Bane's soldiers?"

"I can explain that." Roxanne said with a flutter of her wings. "You see, it's like this..."

Roxanne gave a general explanation of their adventure. How they lived in Glenhaven, and went on a journey with Rune to the Well of Souls because that's where his family was "waiting for him". She mentioned how a dark dragoness snatched Rune away during a commotion in the fishing village, so they hurried to Warfang. Wraith became especially interested when Roxanne mentioned the caverns beneath the city.

"And you say you used them to sneak into Warfang?" Wraith asked.

"Uh-huh." Roxanne nodded. "We ran into Cyrus shortly after emerging in the south district."

"I see..." Wraith scratched his chin. "Lord Bane might want to be know about those... then again, I'm uneasy about facing him at the moment."

"That's everything you need to know about why we ran away from home." Emerald said, with some minor trepidation. "So, what's the story behind _you_ guys?"

"I'll explain it as best as I can." Cyrus said. He readjusted himself to expose his side. He pointed to his glowing red mark. "First off, do you see these symbols on me?"

"Yes, of course." Nellie nodded.

"They're rather hard to miss." Blankridge chuckled. Cyrus sneered at him before continuing.

"Well, they're not just tattoos." Cyrus said. "They're magical, royal birthmarks. I'm the prince of the dark dragon monarchy. My parents were Lord Baneth and Lady Elenar.

"And Rune's your brother, right?" Roxanne asked.

"Yes." Cyrus answered. He was briefly sad for a moment before shaking his head to continue. "I grew up with my family in a place called The Hive for about seven years. But then, about six years ago, evil dragons attacked my home and burned it to ashes. They dragons belonged to the Order of Culmubrae."

"Culmubrae?!" Blankridge exclaimed.

"You know of them?" Lilith asked.

"Not exactly." Roxanne said. "We heard dark dragons mention that word way back in Glenhaven."

"But you said that your home was attacked six years ago?' Emerald asked Cyrus.

"Well... yeah." Cyrus awkwardly folded his wings in tight.

"That's the same time Elder Telus found Rune out in the Arcus Desert." Nellie said. "After that, mine and Blank's parents adopted Rune into our family."

"We received contact from a fellow Deep Shadow with news concerning Prince Rune some time ago." Wraith said. "We didn't fully believe it at the time, but..."

"So you **do** work with the dragon named Albanion." Blankridge glared.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean 'we're out to get you' or anything like that!" Wraith adjusted his collar in frustration. "Look, Albanion's more of a co-worker than a friend. He's the leader of the Deep Shadows; the most elite of dark dragons who serve the king. If they were in Glenhaven, then they were most likely searching for Prince Cyrus here."

"Well, that brings us right back to square one." Emerald shifted onto her haunches. "Why did you run away from home?"

"It has to do with my father." Cyrus said. "As Rune and I were growing up, we didn't see much of him. He was always working to serve our granddad, the then-king Urobos. What brief glimpses I got of my father as a hatchling were of him doting on my mother. He would dream of the day when he'd bring all of the dark dragons to Warfang, so he could rule with her as queen."

"So your Dad's been planning on taking over Warfang for years?" Roxanne asked.

"It wasn't like that back then." Cyrus shook his head no. "It was more like... reclaiming his rightful place. As a descendant of Spyro and Cynder, my father was supposed to rule as the High King of the dragon realms. He planned on returning to Warfang when he turned thirty... But things went wrong."

Cyrus sniffled a bit. Wraith and Lilith looked at him pitifully. Cyrus took a breath and wiped his eyes.

"You okay, Cyrus?" Tina asked.

"I'm fine..." Cyrus took a breath. "Anyway, after that disaster six years ago, my family was all but gone. Father was never the same after that. He became a recluse, planning and scheming revenge against the Order of Culmubrae. But his plans extended beyond just the Order..." Cyrus stood upright. "He wants to get rid of **all** light dragons."

The light dragon younglings grimaced. Nellie seemed downright scared.

"It's not a sentiment that we all share." Wraith quickly said. "Believe me, that last thing most dark dragons want is more bloodshed.

"How does he plan on getting rid of so many dragons?" Emerald asked. "Light dragons far outnumber dark dragons." Emerald winced at the angry glare Cyrus shot her. "Uh, unfortunately..."

"That won't matter..." Wraith replied. "Thanks to the Night of Eternal Darkness."

"The What of Eternal What?" Blankridge raised an eye ridge.

"I'll take over from here." Lilith said, clearing her throat. "The Night of Eternal Darkness is a great, supernatural event that spans the entirety of the Dragon Realms. When the twin moons enter alignment, the realms are locked in an ongoing nighttime, during which the balance of light and dark magic is thrown out of sync."

Lilith took a torch from the wall and folded her wing carefully over it, casting shadows about the room.

"Many supernatural spirits will be drawn to the Well of Souls, which draws dark magic with them to it. The magical power of all dark dragons will be greatly magnified, while light dragons are drained to near nothing."

"I've never heard of that happening before!" Blankridge exclaimed.

"That's because it only happens rarely across the ages." Wraith said. "The last one was over a hundred and fifty years ago!"

"My father discovered knowledge of it some months ago." Cyrus spread out his wings. "He began planning a large plan to launch secret attacks on all the major cities of the Dragon Realms."

"But how would dark dragons be able to-?" Roxanne gasped when the answer hit her immediately. "The nomads!"

"Huh?" Emerald turned towards Roxanne. "What about them?"

"Those three dark dragons we saw in Glenhaven, Albanion and the others..." Roxanne stood up, her body shaking. "They were disguised as nomads thanks to the shrouds of darkness. And we've been seeing nomads gathering together in groups everywhere we've gone."

Realization dawned on Nellie and Emerald. Their eyes went wide and their bodies trembled.

"What? I still don't get it." Blankridge wracked his talons on the floor. "What's the worry?"

"Blank, you dolt!" Emerald shouted. "Dark dragons are hiding in all the cities and villages we've been to! They're disguised as nomads and waiting to attack!"

"Oh..." Blankridge finally got it, and he gasped. "OH! OH GEEZ!"

"Again, I just want to say that I personally don't approve of our lord's plan." Wraith said with a shake of his wrist. "In fact, there are quite a number of dark dragons who aren't okay with it. But hey, it's hard to openly defy the king of all dark dragons..."

"But even with dark dragons super-powered by the Night of Whatever," Blankridge said, "Wouldn't they still be outnumbered?"

"That's where the crepsculi come in." Cyrus said with another shiver. "Thanks to the Night of Eternal Darkness summoning forth hundreds of spirits, my father will have enough to create a literal **army** of darkness."

"Well, that's not groovy at all." Blankridge grimaced. Emerald smacked him upside the head. "Ow!"

Emerald shook her head in disapproval, while Nellie turned towards Cyrus.

"So, what were you planning on doing to stop the king from conquering the Dragon Realms?"

"I tried convincing my father not to go through with is several times." Cyrus said as he curled up on the couch. "But he never listened. I was going to give up... until I discovered the revival ritual."

Roxanne's eyes lit up. "Hey! We were just talking about something like that a little while ago!"

"You were?" Lilith asked in confusion.

"Yeah, kind of." Roxanne continued. "When we looked up information about the dark fiends, we contemplated something akin to bringing back the dead fully-formed."

"I don't really want to think it's real..." Blankridge stuck his tongue out. "It's too gruesome for me."

"Well, it's real." Cyrus said. "We have it with us right now."

"What?!" Nellie shouted. "So you **can** raise bring people back to life?"

"Yes." The prince nodded. "And I'm on a quest to bring back my mother."

The light dragon younglings had mixed looks of surprise and alarm.

"But why?' Emerald asked. "Don't get me wrong; I can't begin to imagine the pain of losing your mom as a dragonling. But why would you want to disturb your mother's rest?"

"Because my mother was the only dragon my father would always listen to." Cyrus took a breath again. "If I can bring her back, she can convince him to abandon his plans of light dragon genocide. I don't know how the world could be repaired, but bringing her back has to be the start of something."

"I reviewed the ritual myself." Wraith said. "After Lilith and I tracked the prince down initially, we decided to help him along."

"So you're all heading to the Well of Souls, then?" Nellie asked.

"Well... yes." Wraith scratched behind his mane. "But we can't yet. We don't have everything we need for the ritual."

"What's missing?" Roxanne questioned.

"For the ritual to work, we need all eight elements." Cyrus said. He counted off his talons as he spoke. "I have poison, wind, shadow and fear. Tina has lightning."

The light dragon younglings looked amongst themselves. It was quite obvious to everyone in the room that they had fire, ice and earth. Exactly the elements they needed.

"You know, before Rune was separated from us, he wanted to track you down." Roxanne looked towards Cyrus. "He has all four of the light elements. I think he wanted to help you with the ritual."

Cyrus fell silent. He seemed enthusiastic to hear the news, but then his smile faded. He hopped down from the couch and walked over to the window. He carefully peeked out to look at the fortress as it floated overhead.

"Are you okay, my prince?" Lilith asked. Cyrus didn't look away from the window. The light dragon children glanced amongst themselves, unsure of what to think. Wraith looked towards the prince with an uneasy face.

"If Rose really thought Rune was me, she'd bring him directly to The Nexus." Cyrus said. "He's be kept locked up in that highest tower. It wouldn't be easy to get to him..."

"I wouldn't recommend going back to the fortress right now, Cyrus." Wraith shook his head.

"I wasn't going to... well..." Cyrus sighed and turned to face the others. "What am I supposed to do? I really want to see my brother again, but I know I'd risk failing in my quest. But I still don't have..." Cyrus glanced briefly towards the light dragons with an awkward cough.

"You need help bringing back your mother, right?" Blankridge asked. "Well, we've got the three elements you need. Maybe we could..."

"Hold on, Blank!" Emerald exclaimed with a paw held up. "Are you suggesting we drop everything and help these _strangers_?"

"Why not?" Blankridge asked.

"Because we're supposed to find Rune so we can all go home!" Emerald shouted. "Or did you forget everything I said back in the cavern?"

"Oh, come on." Blankridge pouted. "Would you rather I try breaking Rune out of the fortress?"

"Well..." Emerald said, adjusting her spectacles.

"I bet you'd call me a blockhead if I said I wanted to go straight up to the fortress to bust Rune out!" Blankridge glared. "You're never satisfied with any choice I make, Emmy!"

Emerald was dumbstruck. Nellie and Roxanne looked at Blankridge incredulously.

"Now just calm down, Blank." Nellie frowned.

"No." Blankridge stamped his forepaw down. "It seems like the only 'smart' options we have are either 'give up and go home' or 'sit here with twiddling our talons'."

"Well we can't just abandon Rune." Roxanne said, glancing out the window at the fortress. "But what can we do to help him?"

"Hmm..." Blankridge looked towards Cyrus. "Would anybody in The Nexus want to hurt you or Rune?"

"Laying a talon on the heir to the royal bloodline is a grave offense." Wraith said. "So I'd imagine that Prince Rune would be in safe paws."

"Well, in that case..." Blankridge started grinning again. "If we can't set Rune free, we can still help him out by bringing back his mom..." He turned towards the girls. "If you all want to."

Judging by their faces, Nellie and Roxanne had mixed feelings about the venture. Emerald, however, seemed quite frustrated.

"Why do we keep getting sucked into more and more dangerous situations?" She asked indignantly. "All I want is to go back to Glenhaven."

"Our objective hasn't changed in the grand scheme of things." Blankridge said. "We're still heading north to the Well of Souls. It's just the context that's changed, and not by much."

"And besides, we'd also be helping to save the light dragon race as a whole." Nellie said. "If this lady Elenar is the only one who can stop the black king from enacting his plans, should we do this for the cause?"

"But how do we know these guys are telling the truth?" Emerald whispered, glancing back nervously at the dark dragons.

"If their intentions were to captures us, I don't think they'd have to lie." Roxanne whispered back. "Besides, they seem to be on the up and up to me. I just hope Rune can forgive us for not coming to his rescue right away."

"Well then..." Blankridge turned around to face Cyrus. "We've come to a decision!"

"So, does that mean you'll help me?" Cyrus asked, now quite hopeful. The light dragons turned to look towards the prince.

"You have my fire." Blankridge grinned.

"And my ice." Nellie nodded. The two glanced over to Emerald, who sighed in defeat.

"...And my earth." She said with her head bent low.

"Great!" Cyrus was nearly jumping for joy. "You have no idea how much this means to me! Tina, did you hear what they said?"

The prince glanced over to Tina... Only for him to realize that she was asleep. He looked at her incredulously for a moment, while Blank and Roxanne chuckled. With a roll of his eyes, Cyrus turned back around.

"...Anyway, I don't know how I'd ever pay you guys back, but if this works, you'll have my thanks forever." Cyrus smiled again.

"No problem, Cyrus." Blankridge replied with a grin. Nellie and Roxanne all smiled, while Emerald focused on her forepaws.

"Oh, that reminds me; Call me Edge." The prince nodded.

"Edge?" Nellie tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"

"It's the nickname I use when I'm in disguise." Cyrus said. "It's so none of the dark dragons out there recognize me."

"Suchastupidnickname..." Wraith muttered under his breath.

"So..." Emerald finally picked her head up. "When do we all leave for the Well of Souls?"

"We leave early tomorrow morning." Lilith said. She walked over to Tina to drape a blanket over her. "It's going to take a lot of careful planning to get all six of you younglings out of Warfang undetected."

"Couldn't you just teleport us all to the Well of Souls immediately?" Blankridge asked.

"That's not how shadow magic works." Wraith said, unamused. "I can't teleport across a distance that great. Not even our stock of convexity crystals can get us that far, and those are for emergencies only."

"Well, this is kind-of an emergency." Cyrus replied. "We need to travel north as fast as we can."

"The biggest issue is that, if we used the convexity magic to teleport away, the king would **know**." Wraith clasped one forepaw atop the other. "The king's developed quite the sense for convexity. He'd feel us teleporting past him, and he'd send dragons to investigate. We'd be much safer if we snuck through Warfang with as little magic use as possible."

"So what are we going to do, then?" Roxanne asked.

"Just let us adults worry about that, dear." Lilith looked down at her. "For now, you children should get your rest. If you need anything, we'll gladly bring it for you."

Cyrus and the light dragons spent a few minutes preparing to sleep. The younglings took off their armor and piled it up in the center of the living room. Blankridge curled up in a cushion next to Nellie, while the others sat around them. Wraith and Lilith spent several minutes cleaning up the rooms of the safe house. To ensure nobody saw the younglings, Wraith pulled down the blinds on the windows and locked the door. The crimson drake went to sleep on the far side of the room, while Lilith slept adjacent to the living room to keep an eye on the younglings.

"Goodnight, kids." Lilith said to the door. "We have a busy day tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Miss Lilith." The younglings said to her. After that, the lights went out, and all was silent.

A few minutes later, Blankridge whispered into Nellie's ear frill.

"Hey, Sis."

"Yes, Blank?" Nellie whispered back.

"Do you think Rune is okay up in that fortress?" Blankridge asked. "I really did have half a mind to fly right up there. It's pretty freaky looking."

"Well, if Mr. Wraith is right, then Rune is fine..." Nellie said. It seemed to Blankridge that she said it more to reassure herself than her brother.

"What's been bugging me is; if Rune lived in a floating city, then how did he end up in the Arcus Desert?" Blankridge asked. "I mean, he was only seven at the time, right?"

Nellie tilted her head back in thought. She grew more and more curious by the second. But she eventually shook her head and looked at Blankridge.

"It's a riddle for the ages, Blank." She said. "Who knows if anybody knows the answer."

"I guess you're right..." Blankridge rolled over to stare at the ceiling. "Wherever he is, I hope he's okay."

"Me too, Blank." Nellie said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sis."

~~...~~

Seraph and the Guardians woke up to the scent of cooking meat. Old man was preparing another meal by the campfire. She sat up and stretched out her neck, taking in the scent of lamb chops.

"Ah, good morning, Guardians." Old Man replied.

"Morning, Old Man." Hontus grunted as he stood up beside Seraph. "I feel like I should be heading to the forge..."

Seraph chuckled lightly and nuzzled his neck before standing upright. Jules and Voden stood up as well, the former spending time to put on his armor.

"Where did you find lamb, Old Man?" Jules asked curiously. "I haven't seen any sheep on these outskirts for miles."

"Let's just say I have my sources." Old Man snickered as he flipped the lamb-chops over. "What matters is that it's a hearty breakfast before you all decide on where to head next."

"You've got my thanks, sir." Voden stretched out his wings. "And you raise a fair point. If Warfang is dangerous territory, where do we head next?"

"We could travel around Warfang to head north." Hontus said. He sat down beside Old Man and wracked his talons on the ground. "We just need to keep a great enough distance to keep from provoking attacks from dark dragons."

"I don't like it..." Jules grumbled. "But I can't deny that this is the way things are."

"So, shall we head northeast, or northwest?" Seraph asked.

"Well, either way would serve the same purpose to you." Old Man nodded. "So, just take a moment to enjoy this meal. You'll need it to keep your energy going."

Hontus, Seraph and Voden decided to sit down to enjoy the breakfast. Jules, however, stood up tall and surveyed the area. The captain looked towards both the east and west, trying to decide on the best route. And that's when he saw something that made his eyes widen.

"A war camp!" Jules declared. The other Guardians were caught off guard.

"Excuse me?" Old Man asked.

Jules quickly turned around to face his group. "To the northwest, there's a battalion of stationed in a war camp some distance outside of Warfang."

"Whose banner are they flying?" Seraph asked.

"Hmm..." Jules turned back around and squinted his eyes. "I'm not sure... but I think it might be Aeroshard's."

"Oh my..." Old Man muttered. He clasped his forepaws together and looked away, as if thinking something over.

"Should we avoid them, sir?" Hontus asked as he stood up. "Our last encounter with light dragons on this continent left things rather tense."

"Aeroshard has been an ally of Glenhaven's since the war ended." Jules declared. "That battalion's leader may know who I am. And besides, I want any information they have on efforts to reclaim Warfang."

Seraph noticed that Old Man was nibbling on his lower lip. He looked down and tried to focus exclusively on his cooking.

 _Why is he so nervous all of as sudden?_ She wondered.

"We'll eat our breakfast, and then head northwest to the camp." Jules decided. He looked towards Old Man. "Would you care to join us?"

"Well, I don't really have anywhere else to go..." Old Man said. "But, I've never been comfortable around war tents and soldiers. I'd rather keep my distance."

"It seems awfully lonely being out here by yourself, sir." Seraph nodded.

"Well, I'm used to it. I have been for quite a few years."

"Well, if that's how you feel, Old Man..." Jules nodded.

The Guardians spent a few minutes finishing up their meals before rising up. They gathered their belongings and spread their wings to fly northwest. Just before they left, Seraph looked back at Old Man as he was arranging his belongings.

"Take care of yourself, sir." Seraph bowed her head.

"Oh, I imagine I'll be quite alright." He said to them, waving a wing.

Old Man watched as the Guardians flew off towards the war camp. Once they were well out of earshot, he sighed and sat back on his haunches. He frowned and looked down.

"It's **you** who I'm worried about."

~~...~~

Cyrus was quickly shaken awake by Tina.

"Get up, Runt." She chided. "We've got to get going."

"Alright, alright..." Cyrus gently pushed her away. "You don't have to do that."

"Runt?" Nellie repeated, tilting her head. She was in the middle of waking up her snoring brother.

"That's what I call him." Tina grinned. "It's because he's so short."

"Tina, don't tell them that..." Cyrus tried to sound angry, but his blushing face betrayed him. Nellie couldn't help but giggle, though she tried to hide it.

Once all of the younglings were woken up, Lilith served them steaks for breakfast. In the meantime, Wraith went out to scout ahead around the area of Warfang they were stationed in. When he got back, he had a grimace on his face.

"We have a bit of a problem." He said, wiping rain water from his head.

"It's still raining?" Lilith sighed. "What exactly is the king trying to do with all this rain, anyway? Give his entire army the sniffles?"

"Joke all you want, but that's the least of our worries..." Wraith cleared his throat as he walked up to the table with the map of Warfang. "From what I've seen, soldiers are patrolling the streets very thoroughly. Apparently the king is worried that there might be some light dragons roaming about that he can't see. You and I could be seen just fine, but these kids..."

Wraith and Lilith looked down at the six younglings with frowns.

"What?" Blankridge asked. "What would happen if the dark dragons saw us?"

"Well, you'd be sent straight to The Nexus." Lilith answered.

"Is that where all the captured light dragons are being sent to?" Nellie asked.

"Not exactly; just the younglings."

"Why?" Emerald queried, stretching out her wings.

"It has to do with King Bane's grand plan." Lilith said. She moved into the living room to sit down. Wraith just sighed and looked over the map again. Blankridge shrugged and went to follow her, and so did the other light dragons. Cyrus and Tina just sighed and sat down with Wraith; they already knew that stuff.

"You see, young ones," Lilith began, "King Bane possesses a strange power; the ability to transform light dragons into dark dragons."

The younglings all gasped.

"Say what?!" Blankridge exclaimed.

"That's so weird!" Nellie said, aghast.

"Are you serious?" Roxanne asked.

"Of course." Lilith nodded. "Now, I don't know for certain since I wasn't here, but presumably Bane has transformed every light dragon child who's lived in Warfang. And he's keeping them asleep in The Nexus for the time being."

"But how, and why?" Emerald demanded. "None of that seems natural!"

"I suppose it isn't." Lilith replied. "But that's what the black king is doing. And if you four would prefer to remain the way you are, then we need to find a way to keep you from being sighted by the king's soldiers."

"Well, I think I have a plan." Wraith said from the other room. He stood up and walked into the living room, Cyrus and Tina following behind.

"What do have in mind, Mr. Wraith?" Roxanne asked.

"It's not going to be easy, but just bear with me..." Wraith wracked his talons on the floor. "Here's what we're going to do..."

~~...~~

Wraith and Lilith split the children into two groups. Lilith brought Blankridge, Nellie and Emerald with her towards, while Wraith went with Cyrus, Tina and Roxanne. The two groups ventured into the streets of Warfang; Wraith's group traveled clockwise, while Lilith's group went counterclockwise.

The early morning over Warfang was icy cold. The dragons could almost see their breath in the constant rain. Far off in the distance around Warfang, they could just barely see bright sunny weather over the outskirts.

Wraith and Lilith were to calmly walked through the streets on foot. The children would follow behind by gliding from rooftop to rooftop. If the two Deep Shadows ever encountered any soldiers along the way, they would simply make the claim that they were inspecting the king's war efforts before reporting to the Dragon Spire. As an extra precaution, Wraith and Lilith only walked down the most deserted streets whenever possible. Splitting the group up had its risks, to be sure, but it was far less conspicuous than travelling as one big group of eight.

Cyrus almost lost track of time as he glided from rooftop to rooftop. He held his breath and moved via shadow-jumping to ensure he made as little sound as possible. Tina and Roxanne stayed just ahead of him. Cyrus kept his eyes pointed towards the streets of Warfang. While the two girls whispered to each other, Cyrus kept his eyes on Wraith. As the crimson made his rounds, he rounded by puddle after puddle. Warfang was full of them now, each one the size of a carriage. It had to take incredible amounts of magic to keep those storm-clouds pouring for so long.

"Ugh, the rain just keeps coming." Tina grimaced as she shook her wings of droplets.

"This is completely unlike anything I've ever dealt with back in Glenhaven." Roxanne replied. After she landed on a rooftop, she tried to shake her whole body of water. Tina shielded her face with a wing.

"Hey, watch it!" Tina grimaced. "I didn't get you soaked, did I?"

"Oh, sorry..." Roxanne said sheepishly.

"Meh, it's alright." Tina rolled her eyes as she kept moving. "I think we're all going to end up soaked either way..."

"Yeah..." Roxanne followed Tina to the next rooftop, struggling to keep up with the larger girl's pace. "So Tina, are you a lightning dragon too?"

"Kind of." Tina shrugged. "It would be weird to say I used to be a lightning dragon."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roxanne looked at her funny.

"I guess I'm a dark dragon now, thanks to King Bane." Tina leaped over a short alleyway. "It wasn't easy to get used to."

"I see..." Roxanne cast her eyes towards Cyrus. "So, that's Rune's brother, right? Are you friends with him?"

"Who, Runt?" Tina smirked. "That goober's the best friend I've got. I've known him for several years now."

"It's... well, it's kind of the same between me and Runey." Roxanne smiled. "He's been close to me ever since I met him."

"Ooh..." Tina's grin widened. "So you've got a crush on Cyrus's brother? Tell me more!"

"I-It's not like that." Roxanne looked away with a flush.

"That look says otherwise." Tina chuckled.

"Well..." Roxanne's flush brightened. "Maybe there is something more. Rune certainly thinks so."

"Now we're getting somewhere." Tina laughed. "I guess an affection for light dragons is a trait he shares with Cyrus."

"Oh?" Roxanne tilted her head. And from then on, Tina and Roxanne shared bits of 'juicy gossip' with each other.

 _Girls..._ Cyrus sighed and rolled his head. _How could they be gossiping at a time like this?_

After making sure that Wraith was okay, Cyrus turned his eyes towards the center of Warfang. He looked upon the Dragon Spire, and then The Nexus as it floated above it. Cyrus wondered where his father was at that moment.

How long had it been since Cyrus ran away? Too long, perhaps. When he first snuck away, Cyrus had hoped that the king would come after him. Cyrus wanted nothing more than for his father to personally risk everything to get him back, to call him a fool for leaving... and hugging him close. But no. Instead, the king sent his lackeys to find him instead. Sure, Cyrus cared for Wraith and Lilith... but they just weren't who he wanted most.

 _Dad..._ Cyrus struggled not to cry. _I miss you, I really do. But... do you even miss me?_

~~...~~

After what felt like hours of sneaking around, both Wraith's group and Lilith's group finally arrived at the northernmost edge of Warfang. They both traveled north separately for a few leagues, before finally coming together behind a large hill to reunite as one party.

Lilith prepared a campsite, leaving the children to sit around to rest after the day's events. All the light dragons had removed their armor and left it in a pile by the edge of the campsite. Nellie used her magic to remove all the water from her body and her supplies before setting up her art easel. Blankridge helped Lilith start the campfire before he ran off to run some laps around the edge of the campsite. Emerald sat down on her haunches and produced one of her scrolls to read. Roxanne and Tina wandered over to the other side of the camp to shoot the breeze together. And Cyrus sat down by the edge of camp to look out at the cloudy sky.

Wraith was the last one to come to a landing. He gave a big yawn and wandered over to Lilith's side.

"I'm glad to see that you're all doing okay." Lilith smiled.

"Likewise." Wraith grunted. He stretched out his back and got down on the grass. "Ugh, my body's killing me. I haven't had a power-walk like that in years."

"Did anyone follow you?"

"As far as I can tell? Nope." Wraith grunted. "I think we're in the clear."

"Should we really be stopping to set up a camp?" Emerald asked, approaching the Deep Shadows. "There's no telling whether or not dark dragons will fly out here and catch us."

Wraith gave her an unamused look.

"Listen, Jade-"

"Emerald." She said irritably.

"Emerald..." Wraith rolled his eyes. "I am **well aware** of what kinds or trouble I could get into if dark dragons found me out here with all of you..." He brought his face closer to the green dragoness. "But as risky as staying here is, I am **DEAD TIRED**. We're not moving on until I can feel my talons again. Is that understood?"

"Oh... Okay..." Emerald stepped back nervously. "Sorry..."

"Whatever." Wraith leaned back and gave a yawn. "Hey Lilith, did you take any of the food supplies left in that little hovel?"

"Not much, really. It just didn't seem right to steal from that place." Lilith shook her head. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, if we don't have plenty of food rations, feeding **six younglings** is going to be problematic." Wraith shifted around again.

"Hey, that won't be too much of a problem!" Blankridge declared. He ran over to the Deep Shadows with a grin. "The girls and I can just go hunting after some sheep!"

Wraith looked at him, quite bemused.

"You children... hunt?" He asked dubiously.

"It's what we used to do for fun back home." Blankridge grinned. "Me and Nellie used to do it every weekend morning."

"I see..." Wraith glanced over towards Cyrus, who flinched back.

"What?" Cyrus demanded.

"Well, as grotesque an idea that is to me personally..." Wraith sighed. "I guess I can't throw out an opportunity to get more food supplies."

"But the problem is that there aren't any sheep out here for miles around." Lilith added, standing up. "You'll have to hunt down something else."

"Well that doesn't sound like too much of a problem." Blankridge grinned. He turned towards Nellie and Emerald. "Do you girls want to go with me?"

"Eww, no." Emerald stuck her snout up into the air. " _I_ am a lady. Ladies don't hunt wild animals."

"Come on, Emmy." Nellie said as she stood up. "You know that Blank needs all the help we can get."

"Well, I suppose you're right..." Emerald said. She looked towards Blankridge with one eye. The orange boy just stood there smiling, their comments flying right over his head like always.

"What's this I hear about hunting?" Tina asked. She and Roxanne had returned to the campfire and looked around.

"We're thinking of heading out soon." Blankridge smiled. "Hey Roxy, you love doing this stuff, right?"

"Well, yeah..." Roxanne nodded a bit. "But, I haven't done it since Rune was around..."

"Well I'm pumped to try it!" Tine grinned. "The more hunting, the easier it is to catch animals, right?"

"Yep!" Blankridge flapped his wings. "Let's get going! There might be some deer or goats roaming around somewhere."

"Hey, can I go too?" Cyrus asked. "I haven't gotten a chance to hunt for anything since the Tall Plains."

"Seriously?" Wraith sighed and rolled his eyes. "Go, go. Just make sure you're wearing a shroud first."

"Got it." Cyrus whipped up an orb of dark energy and covered himself with it. Moments later, he resembled a red fire dragon. "Alright, this should be good to..." Cyrus winced when he noticed the light dragons looking at him unhappily. Cyrus stepped back. "What?"

"Sorry." Nellie frowned, looking away.

"You look so much like Rune used to." Roxanne frowned. "Back when he thought he was a light dragon."

"Oh..." Cyrus's features drooped. "Uh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I can change my shroud if that helps..."

"No, no, it's alright." Roxanne shook her head. She spread her wings and ran forwards to lift off into flight. "Let's not waste time."

Cyrus watched her take off and then glanced at the other light dragons. One by one, they spread their wings to fly into the sky. Cyrus felt a bit uneasy; just how much more would they be comparing him to Rune? He didn't mean to cause any drama with them, but things started to get a little too much for him.

Cyrus glanced back at Wraith and Lilith as he spread his own wings.

"Do you guys want any of whatever we find?" He asked.

"I'm fine, dear." Lilith said as she settled in to her space besides the hill.

"And I'd seriously rather not." Wraith shook his head no. "I'll stick with my rations. Just hurry up and come back soon, before anyone spots you kids."

"Okay..." Cyrus turned to fly off with the other younglings...

~~...~~

Cyrus flew at the head of the group as they traveled over the plains. He scoured the land, searching for a heard of pack animals that they could hunt. After a few minutes, he spotted a heard of deer off to the east.

"Check it out! Deer!" He called to the others.

"Cool." Blankridge grinned. "I haven't tried venison in months."

The orange drake charged ahead of the group. With a grin, Cyrus decided to try and keep up with him. Blankridge looked back and saw him, and then immediately flew faster.

"Oh, so you want a race, huh?" Cyrus chuckled. He took off as fast as he could. And thus were the two racing towards the deer. The girls were left in the dust, struggling to keep up.

"What are they doing?" Nellie asked.

"Boys..." Tina groaned.

When Blankridge and Cyrus were almost at the herd of deer, Cyrus turned his head and unleashed a blast of wind magic behind his wings. He shot through the air like a comet, leaving Blankridge in the dust.

"Hey, no fair!" Blankridge shouted.

Cyrus had a witty response in his throat. But as he was turning his head to be snarky, he forgot to slow down and ended up crashing into two of the deer. All three of them hit the ground hard. Nellie, Emerald, Roxanne and Tina all laughed at the sight. The other deer heard the commotion and turned to run away. The dragonesses flew ahead to fell their own prey, while Blankridge came to a stop beside Cyrus.

"Cheaters never prosper!" Blankridge said, struggling to hold back laughter. Cyrus stuck his tongue out. Blankridge looked down at the two deer, who were silent.

"This isn't how I figured royalty went hunting, but it's quite effective." Blankridge snorted.

"Oh, shut up." Cyrus spat as he rose to his paws.

The six younglings returned to the campsite triumphantly, with plenty of deer to go around. Wraith and Lilith spent about an hour doing the rather gruesome parts to prepare the meat for cooking.

"I do this only under protest." Wraith grimaced. "We can talk. We can shoot magic out of our faces. And yet we dragons can't figure out a more efficient way of getting meat. Ugh."

"Well, it tastes good when cooked properly." Blankridge declared. "They make great steaks."

"Uh-huh. Sure..." Wraith sighed and rolled his eyes.

Once the meat was fully cooked, Wraith dished out equal shares to each of the younglings. The crimson drake shuddered as they sank their fangs into it. He clasped his forepaws together, shut his eyes, and started chanting something.

"What's his problem?" Blankridge asked, his muzzle stained.

"Wraith's a vegetarian." Tina said. "He doesn't like killing things for food. Don't try to change his mind; he can be as stubborn as a rock!"

"Tina!" Lilith exclaimed. She glared at her daughter, who flinched back. "That's no way to speak about someone, especially a dragon instructed to guard your life!"

Tina shuddered and fell back onto her haunches. She looked up at Wraith and hurriedly apologized. Wraith focused on his chanting, not even looking in her direction. But Lilith was satisfied enough, so she sat back on her haunches and looked up at the sky.

Roxanne looked curiously between Tina and Lilith. "So, you're mother and daughter, right?"

"Yes, dear." Lilith nodded.

"Where is Tina's dad, then?" Roxanne asked.

"Oh, I imagine he's alright." Lilith said. "His name is Aegis. He's a Deep Shadow, like I am."

Blankridge gasped. "He's one of those Deep Shadows we encountered in Glenhaven!"

"Really?" Lilith blinked. "I suppose that's correct, since he's been assigned to Albanion's group for some time now."

"So, did you two become Deep Shadows at the same time?" Emerald questioned.

"Well, kind of." Lilith nodded. She sat back on her haunches. "The story of how we came to be like this starts a few years back, in the city of Faeshrine. Would you all like to hear it?"

"Well, we do have quite a bit of time." Blankridge took a bit out of his steak. "What do you girls think?"

Nellie, Emerald and Roxanne exchanged glances. They then sighed and sat back around the campfire, their eyes on Lilith. She folded her wings in and cleared her throat.

"Back in the day, my husband was an earth dragon who delivered mail to the dragons of Faeshrine. I was a lightning dragoness, and we raised our daughter Tina in an apartment high up in one of Faeshine's towers. Life decent... up until Aegis got into an... **accident**."

Lilith stopped to shudder a bit, but then she composed herself. Tina walked up and hugged her mother's foreleg. Lilith draped a wing over her and nuzzled her forehead.

"What happened to him?" Nellie asked worriedly.

"I'll spare you the details, but let's just say that it cost him the use of a wing and a paw." Lilith sighed. "Aegis couldn't fly anymore, and thus he lost his job. His former employer, a drake named Bergan, offered condolences and some funds to help raise our daughter. But the light dragons of Faeshrine were rather mocking of my husband's disability. We had no choice but to purchase a wagon and pack up to leave Faeshrine."

Lilith sounded rather mournful at the end. She hugged Tina tighter to her foreleg.

"As we traveled through the Mushroom Forest, we heard quite a commotion. Aegis hopped out to investigate. And you wouldn't believe what he saw; a black dragon fighting against a group of panthers."

"The black king?" Blankridge guessed.

"He wasn't called that at the time, but yes." Lilith replied. "The panthers had the black dragon, Baneth, on the ropes. Their arrows were poised to kill. Aegis felt compelled to save him, so he leaped into action. Hearing the distress, I ran to help as well."

"So, you two saved him." Nellie nodded. "But why did those panthers want to kill him?"

"I don't really know anymore; it was years ago." Lilith fluttered their wings. "Maybe it was a territorial dispute. Or maybe they just despised the black dragon line... But whatever the case, Aegis and I forced them to flee into the forest. Baneth turned his eyes onto my husband and I, unsure of what to make of us. He thought we would attack him at first, but stopped when we explained who we were.. I brought Tina out to see Baneth up close, saying how we had nowhere to go in the realms anymore. And so, Baneth decided to take us to live in The Nexus."

"He brought you back to his home?" Emerald asked. "But I thought the black king wanted to kill all light dragons."

"I guess he wasn't like that at the time." Lilith sighed. "Now, when we got to The Nexus, Bane asked us if we'd like to undergo a certain experiment of his. With nothing to lose, Aegis stepped forwards to try it. Thus, Baneth used his magic, the power of convexity, to transform my husband into the first artificially-created dark dragon."

The younglings ooh'd and ahh'd, which made Lilith chuckle a little.

"Aegis was granted a new power; telekinesis. He was finally able to lift his hearty body off the ground again. Oh, to think back to his face at the time..." Lilith smiled, and a few tears poured down his face. "He was back to his old self again. Seeing how happy Aegis was, I agreed to try the experiment out for myself. My magic afterwards wasn't too different, and I didn't feel any 'corruption' as is often rumored to be a side-effect of convexity. Thus, I allowed Baneth to transform my daughter. And we've been living under his rule ever since."

"Wow. That was quite a story." Blankridge nodded, having finally finished his steak. "I didn't know that it was possible to transform like that. Does it hurt?"

"Of course not." I just took a bit of getting used to, is all."

"So, the black king has the power to turn light dragons into dark ones..." Emerald put a forepaw to her chin. "If he hates light dragons, what would compel him to transform them?"

"Well..." Lilith frowned. "I'm sorry, young ones. I can't claim to understand everything going through my lord's mind. There are some things, even, that you'd best not think about."

"Really?" Roxanne frowned. "We're just going to wonder about it now that you've told us."

"Well, that's my fault, then. Forgive me, but I'd rather bring the discussion to an end here."

Roxanne frowned, but just looked back down at her steak. The other younglings resumed eating as well. Shortly after that, Wraith finally finished his chanting. He stretched out his limbs and shifted over onto his side.

"I don't think I'll be getting up any time soon." Wraith said, adjusting his neck. "We'll rest here for a few hours before taking off into flight."

"Hey, we're outside of Dad's senses now." Cyrus said, turning towards him. "Doesn't that mean we can use those convexity crystals now?"

"We still can't teleport across an ocean, dummy." Wraith glared. "We'll have to find a boat get passage on it."

"Oh no..." Emerald grimaced. "Not another fishing boat!"

"What's the problem?" Tina asked curiously. Blankridge and Nellie looked towards Emerald with concern.

"She has a... sailing problem." Roxanne snickered. "Can't find her sea-legs to save her life."

"Hey!" Emerald snapped, stomping towards her. "It's not funny!"

"Alright, alright, no fighting." Lilith said, stamping her paws on the ground. "Settle down, all of you. We don't want to attract too much attention."

"Yeah, I have enough of a headache as it is." Wraith snapped. "All of you, just... just settle down for the day. We have a lot of traveling to start on tonight, and we all need to be well-rested."

"Can I still do some exercises?" Blankridge asked.

"Ugh..." Wraith groaned, rubbing his nostrils. "Fine, whatever. Just keep the noise down, kid."

And with that, Wraith turned and curled up in a ball. He was snoring within seconds. The younglings all spread out, each one doing their own thing again. Cyrus sat back on his haunches, taking a breath.

 _We should really be on the move..._

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I apologize for how late this chapter is, and for that fact that it's slightly shorter. I guess I was just feeling some burnout from writing lately. There are some other things I want to do. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on this series. I just need to find a way to get back into the writing spirit. I'll always do my best to keep these chapters coming out on time. See you next week!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	24. Act 2, Chapter 10

Rune was woken from slumber by a pounding on the door. He sat up with a moan and rubbed his eyes.

"Seraph...?" Rune asked quietly. As the slumber faded from his mind, he remembered that he was locked in the bedroom in the flying fortress. His features drooped and he dejectedly got up from bed. "Oh, right..."

Rune looked out the window. He could barely see the early morning blue skies beyond the clouds. Once again, Rune couldn't recall having any dreams. They seemed to come and go so rarely now. He reached into his satchel by the bed and fished for the dreamstone. He held it up in the light and examined it. What was once a bright and clear sapphire was now nearly pitch black with smoke.

 _I think this thing has just about run its course_. Rune frowned. _What will happen if it gets any darker? Maybe I should find a way to empty it..._

Spending the last few nights trapped in the room didn't give him very many chances to ask for that. Rune's interaction with the many guards in the fortress were extremely limited. What little they spoke to him about related to the city of Warfang, and how his father had "liberated" its control from light dragon paws. There was also whispers of what was done with the many eggs and younglings "rescued" from the city. Rune could only imagine the gruesome details involved in such foul work.

"Are you awake, young prince?" An old voice asked from behind the door.

"Uh, yeah..." Rune scratched his mane with a thumb-talon. He put his dreamstone away and approached the door. "Who is it?"

The mechanisms keeping the door unlocked and it swung open. Rune found himself looking up at the face of an old, grey-scaled dragon. He tilted his head as he tried to recall who this dragon was.

"Who are you?" Rune asked. "Where is that dragoness named Rose?'

The old dragon leaned down to examine Rune's features. The youngling fell back on his haunches, awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact. The drake muttered something to himself before backing up.

"Well, you certainly look like Prince Rune would look at the age of thirteen." He said. "It's just a shame you can't recognize me. But I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, since you barely saw much of me when I served King Urobos."

"Uh..." Rune tilted his head. "Okay?"

"For the sake of clarity, young prince, I am Argos." The old drake turned around to lead the way out of the room. "As for where Rose is, she's keeping herself busy. Don't worry about her."

"Fine then..." Rune snorted. He looked behind Argos to see if guards were still on standby. But he saw nobody there. He looked back at the old dragon. "What's going on?"

"Your father has had a change of heart." Argos said, doing what Rune guessed was smiling. "He wishes to see you."

"My father... wants to see me?" Rune repeated. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. He could scarcely even imagine what the black king _looked like_ , let alone how he was supposed to feel about him. "Where is he?"

"He's awaiting your arrival in the library of the Dragon Spire. I've been instructed to ensure that you eat something beforehand. And you're not to go anywhere without guards watching you."

"I see..." Rune sighed. _I guess they're still keeping me prisoner._

Argos backed up into the hallway and motioned down the left side with a wing. "Right this way, Prince Rune."

Rune stepped back and glared at Argos. "I'm not going anywhere without putting my armor on."

Argos snorted in irritation. "Honestly, young one, nobody here is going to hurt you. There's no need for body armor."

"Even so, I'm not too keen on wandering around without my stuff."

"Oh, very well..." Argos groaned. "But don't try anything funny."

Rune spent several minutes putting on his training armor piece by piece. He faced away from the old dragon so he could concentrate.

 _This could be an opportunity to find a way to get out of here._ Rune nodded to himself. _But as soon as I start running, these dark dragons will make a grab for me. It's obvious they don't want me getting_ away. Rune waited for a moment, hoping to get some kind of response from The Chronicler. But he heard nobody's voice but his own.

"Please hurry up, my prince." Argos stamped his paws.

"I'm almost done." Rune replied. He looked forwards again and groaned. _I sure wish he didn't just come and go as he pleased..._

Unable to delay any longer, Rune put his satchel over his neck and stepped out of the room. Argos grunted in disapproval and pointed Rune towards the end of the hallway, where a pair of other grey-scaled dragons stood at attendance.

"So, are those the guards keeping an eye on me?" Rune muttered.

"Sort of, my prince." Argos said as he led the way. "The king doesn't want to risk anyone seeing you out and about. So we'll have to make use of shadow-jumping."

Argos nodded to the guards, and the dragons began channeling their magic. Rune flinched as a pool of darkness began rising up in the space between them.

"What's wrong, my prince?" Argos asked.

"Are they summoning Fiends?" Rune stepped back, a shiver running across his spine.

"What? Of course not!" Argos exclaimed. "This is merely shadow magic. A portal spell that leads to the Dragon Spire." Argos tilted his head curiously. "Do you not have shadow magic?"

"I only know how to use the light elements." Rune frowned.

"Oh... Well that's a shame." Argos scrunched his face. "Well, I'm sure we'll be able to fix that with proper training in the coming months."

Rune eyes the old drake curiously. Rune couldn't have imagined he'd get this kind of treatment. Perhaps this is what princes were used to. But Rune didn't care to find out either way; he didn't plan on sticking for long. He'd just play along with what this Argos was saying... for now.

"We'll take you to one of the kitchens in the Spire first." Argos nodded. "Once you've had a decent meal, you're off to the library to meet with the king."

"Okay..." Rune said. He turned towards the dark energy, which now formed a large portal. He was still uneasy around the darkness, though Argos gave him a reassuring pat on the back with a wing. The look in the old drake's eyes gave Rune the feeling that he genuinely cared for his well-being. So with a deep breath, Rune stepped forwards through the portal to be whisked away to somewhere else in the city...

~~...~~

Jonathan winced as the dagger scratched the side of his paw. He sat back and clutched his paw to his chest, struggling not to freak out. Saul sat a short distance away, shaking his head with a light sigh.

"You need to be more careful, Johnny." Saul said. "Daggers aren't toys."

Saul and Jonathan were in the middle of a makeshift courtyard the soldiers had prepared. The Commander had decided that now as a great time to train his son in the basics of combat. And what better way to start than with melee?

"It's not my fault it's so hard to hold properly." Jonathan grimaced. He tried to pick up the dagger again, only to drop it moments afterwards. "Are our paws even designed to hold these things?"

"You've got thumb-talons, you can pick it up just fine." Saul motioned with his own paw. But when Jonathan still failed to handle the dagger, the Commander turned to the lieutenant by his side. "Goast, would you be so kind as to demonstrate a proper stance?"

"Yes, Sir." The earth drake grunted. He stepped before Jonathan and picked up the dagger. Goast gripped it tight in his grasp, holding the blade sideways. "Rule Number One: Never point a blade at something you don't intent to cut."

Saul walked out into the center of the courtyard and called upon his earth magic. He summoned up a stone pillar and marked sections of it off with chalk lines.

"Johnny, do you see this pillar?" Saul asked.

"Uh, yeah." The youngling shrugged. "What about it, Dad?"

Saul pointed to the various parts of the pillar. "I want you to come at the pillar and strike at the stone where I've marked it."

"But wouldn't that just break the dagger?" Jonathan frowned.

"No, because you're going to be using your earth magic to augment the strength of the steel." Saul stepped back from the pillar, his cloak ruffling as he sat back on his haunches. "It's just like what you learned in your tutoring. Just let your earth magic flow into your dagger, and strike at the pillar from the side."

Jonathan looked down uneasily at his dagger. "Do you really think I can do it, Dad?"

"Of course you can." Saul smiled. "Just give it a try."

"Well, okay..." Jonathan awkwardly held the dagger before himself and concentrated. Saul saw the youngling's body glow green with a slight aura, which passed onto the dagger. Saul nodded in approval, and motioned towards the statue. Jonathan nodded back and rushed forwards to strike the pillar. There was a distinct CLINK in the air as metal struck stone. Jonathan had managed to carve a tiny piece free from the middle section of the pillar.

"Excellent." Saul smiled.

"Thanks, Dad." Jonathan chuckled. The youngling turned and worked at the rest of the pillar.

Saul took a sigh of relief as he watched his son practice. It was good to see Jonathan out and about, even if he couldn't interact with other younglings. But even as he felt joy in spending time with Jonathan, Saul couldn't ignore the nagging feeling of foreboding at the back of his mind. No matter where he was in the camp, Saul could see the dark clouds over Warfang, a symbol of the war looming in the near future.

 _I can't have Jonathan exposed to the battles when wartime comes,_ Saul grimaced. _I need to get him and Olivia out of here. Blast, I should have left them back in the safety of Ninn. Everything's just going to get worse in the coming-_

"Commander!" Someone called.

Saul snapped out of his concentration and stood up. A pair of wolf sentries arrived at the edge of the courtyard. They saluted as Saul walked up to them.

"This had better be good." Saul sneered. "I'm trying to educate my son."

"Commander, we've reported a group of four dragons flying up to camp from the south." The wolf on the left said.

"Is it more of the black king's forces?" Saul asked with a snarl.

"No sir, they're light dragons!" The other wolf exclaimed. "And one of them bears the seal of Glenhaven!"

"Glenhaven?" Saul blinked in surprise. He immediately turned back towards Jonathan. "Johnny, wrap it up! We need to get moving!"

"What?" Jonathan asked, nearly crashing into the pillar. "But I thought you said-"

"I know what I said, Johnny." Saul frowned. "But plans change when you hold a position of command."

"But..." Jonathan's features drooped as he pulled the dagger from the pillar. "You promised..."

Saul frowned. Once Jonathan had walked up to him, the Commander ruffled his son's mane. "When your older, you'll understand. But for now, I'll make it up to you once I've dealt with these visitors. Alright?"

"Alright, Dad." Jonathan looked up at him with a half-smile.

~~...~~

A short while later, Saul was waiting in the largest tent near the center of the camp. Olivia and Jonathan sat on either side of him on similar cushions, shifting awkwardly. At least a dozen of his finest soldiers stood guard around the tent, each one giving the thousand-yard stare. The southern wall of the tent was exposed, and Saul's cushion faded directly towards it. He could see the four strange dragons coming from half a mile away.

"Are we certain that these visitors aren't spies?" Olivia whispered into Saul's ear frill. "There could be dark dragons waiting in the wings anywhere."

"Calm down, Olivia." Saul patted Olivia's forepaw. "Wherever they are, I won't let them get to you."

"Well, as long as you're confident..." Olivia straightened herself up to look as regal as possible.

Saul gave her a reassuring smile, but deep down he was wary of these strangers. Richteriel would have mentioned if allies were going to meet up with Saul's battalion. These visitors were a rogue element, and he'd need to keep a close watch on them.

Saul sighed and turned to his left, only to see Jonathan fidgeting with his new dagger. Saul put a forepaw over Jonathan's and frowned. "Put that away, Johnny. It's not a toy."

"Sorry, Dad..." The youngling put the dagger in his pocket and straightened up.

Just a moment later, the four visitors were escorted into the tent by a wolf sentry. The group was led by a proud and tall lightning dragon, who came to a stop in a military stance as he was flanked by his allies.

"Greetings." The yellow drake said as he saluted. He quickly surveyed the war banners on the walls and faced the Commander directly. "I take it you are Saul, leader of Aeroshard?"

"Aye." Saul answered with a nod. He leaned in to examine the dragon's seal closely. It was definitely the Guardians' seal for Glenhaven. He then leaned back in his cushion. "If you're the captain of the Glenhaven Guardians, then you must be related to Elder Telus somehow..."

"I am his son-in-law, Jules." The yellow dragon said. "His daughter is my wife, Mimet."

"Ah, of course." Saul nodded. Now that he reflected on it, Telus had mentioned those names in the past few years. Saul reassured himself on this before speaking again. "We haven't met before, but I know of your accomplishments as a Captain. Who are your companions?"

"These two are my fellow Guardians, Hontus and Voden." Jules gestured to the two fire dragons.

"And this is my wife, Seraph." Hontus motioned towards the dragoness with a smile.

"It's wonderful to meet you, sir." The dragoness gave a light bow.

"Marvelous design for this tent..." The one named Voden said as he glanced about in wonder. "Did wind dragons design it?"

"Indeed..." Saul said, his eye twitching slightly. "Now, before we get all buddy-buddy, I need to make sure you all are who you _say_ you are."

"What do you mean?" Hontus asked.

Saul stood up from the cushion and stepped towards the group, his eyes moving between each one in turn. "Ever since Warfang was seized by the dark dragons, word has spread throughout that they have some strange ability to disguise themselves at light dragons."

"It's called the Shroud of Darkness." Jules said.

"You know of it? Interesting..." Saul scratched his beard as he focused on the captain.

"Of course." Jules clasped his talons together. "Several of my soldiers and I had a run-in with dark dragons back in Glenhaven. And that hasn't been our only encounter with their forces."

"Well, before you say another word, I'm going to need some kind of confirmation that you're genuinely light dragons." Saul stepped back again. "If you'd be so kind as to demonstrate your elements of magic...?"

Jules merely rolled his eyes, lifted up a forepaw, and created a small spark of lightning between his talons. "There you go."

"The same goes for the rest of your group." Saul glanced between the other Guardians. "It's for security reasons, I assure you."

Hontus, Seraph and Voden exchanged curious glances. They clearly weren't used to this sort of thing before. There was a moment of hesitation on their part, just long enough for Saul to start thinking that dark dragons had snuck into his camp... but then Hontus and Voden snorted flames from their nostrils, and Seraph summoned ice around her talons.

"There you have it; we're really light dragons." Jules said with a confident nod. "Now, can we please move on to the reason why we've come before you?"

"Very well." Saul said with a stoic expression. The Commander tried to breath a sigh of relief without being noticed. Why was keeping up the appearance of total control so hard for him? But as hard as it was, Saul did his best to look confident. "Come, stand around the planning table and pull up a seat."

"Right, then..." Jules nodded towards his companions, and all of them walked over to the table. They were soon joined by Olivia and Jonathan, who sat on either side of Saul once again.

"We humbly welcome you all to our camp." Olivia finally said, having gained some relief as well. "We could use all the company we can get. Things haven't exactly been rose-colored for us lately."

"Thank you, ma'am." Hontus bowed his head.

~~...~~

Jules and his companions spent the better part of an hour recounting their long adventure beyond Glenhaven. They explained their search for five missing younglings who've run away from home.

"And it's been at least a couple of weeks by now." Seraph said sadly. "We've seen neither scale nor mane of them since."

"Oh dear..." Olivia frowned. "You have my condolences, Miss Seraph. I can't imagine what I'd do if my little Johnny disappeared off the face of the dragon realms."

Olivia wrapped her wing tightly around Jonathan, making the youngling squirm. "Mom, stop!"

Seraph gained a light chuckle from the sight, though it wasn't enough to completely brighten her mood. Still, she held a wing over her muzzle.

"Our travels have taken us through a few villages," Jules continued, "Though we had quite a catastrophic run-in when we spent the night at the Shining Pillar."

Saul's eye twitched. "And what run-in would that be?"

"Well..." Seraph said with a frown.

She and Voden recounted how the Pillar was attacked by dark dragons. When it was revealed that Elder Matthew was slain, Saul's family recoiled in horror. But the Commander himself had strange look of anger... as if he'd already known this. Not wanting to make his anger worse, the Guardians intentionally left out the part about Voden being former friends with one of the assailants.

"...But despite his bad wounds, my uncle has made it through alright." Seraph said. "He was due for a full recovery when we left."

"Your uncle?" Olivia repeated.

"Err, yes. Elder Neptus." Seraph leaned back.

"Elder Neptus is your Uncle? Wouldn't that make you part of the nobility?"

"I suppose so, yes." Seraph replied. "But I-"

"Well, why didn't you mention that sooner?" Olivia exclaimed with a big smile. She grasped Saul's foreleg and shook it. "Saul, these people are highly-esteemed guests! We should treat them as such!"

"Alright, alright." Saul grimaced as he tried to wiggle his leg free. "Keep your head on straight, dear."

Hontus draped a wing over Seraph's back. She turned to see him smiling at her, which caused her to blush.

"Excuse me." Jules interrupted by tapping the table with his talons. "While I thank you for any hospitality you can provide, I'd like to move on to the meat of the discussion. Warfang has FALLEN, and I want to know what's being done to retake it from the dark dragons."

The air around the table grew cold. Olivia's giddiness vanished from her face, and she slumped back in her seat. The other Guardians looked at Jules in concern. Saul bit his lower lip in anger.

"You're right, Captain." Saul said with a glare. "Defeating the dark dragons is PARAMOUNT. But it won't be easy..." The Commander motioned to the map of Warfang on the table. "Putting their Shrouds of Darkness aside, they have complete control over all three main gates in and out of Warfang. Those magical storm-clouds lay a beating on any dragon who flies up there, and there's a great black fortress acting as a floating barracks above the Dragon Spire. And worse of all, we can't even get to the outer walls of Warfang without contending with swarms of horrible creatures known as Crepsculi."

"Have you formulated a plan?" Jules asked.

"Of course I have. Here..." The commander motioned towards the south-eastern section of the map.

"The first stage will be to retrieve Pappas Richteriel from the ruins of Warfang." Saul drew a circle around a mountainside to the south of the camp. "Once he's safely in our paws, we can begin stage two; sending a squadron of our men back into the ruins to emerge within Warfang's walls. Another squadron will launch an attack on the eastern wall of the city, drawing the attention of the dark dragons and their monsters. While they're distracted, the stealth group shall find the southern gate and force it open, allowing more of our forces to storm inside."

"I see you have this well planned out." Jules shook his head in approval. "What will do you about the storm-clouds?"

"There has to be a source of magic keeping the clouds in the air, yes?" Saul asked. "Therefore, we need to track down the source of the clouds and destroy it. Once the skies are clear, we can gain control of the skies to launch a final assault on the city."

"Well, at least you have a plan of action," Jules said, "But it'll take a lot more than this battalion to reclaim the entire city."

"That is why we're waiting on outside support." Saul's grin spread across his muzzle. "I have it on good authority that word about the seizure of Warfang has spread throughout the northern continent, thanks to the refugees who were allowed to flee. Once word has reached Avalar and Faeshrine, we can expect two armies rushing to our aid. Once the dark dragons are strangled on the east and west, they'll have no hope of victory!"

The commander was shouting with pride by the end. Seraph had to reel back in surprise. Saul was quite unlike what she'd come to expect from authority figures.

"I wouldn't advice sitting around to wait on reinforcements." Jules said, "I have it on good authority that time is running out."

"Oh? And just what do you mean by that?" Saul demanded.

"The Night of Eternal Darkness is approaching." The captain wracked his talons on the table. "We don't know for sure what this black king might be planning for that night, but it can't be anything good for light dragons. If you're confident that your plan to infiltrate Warfang through the ruins will work, then I suggest you get a move on. Time is of the essence."

"Now hold on just a moment." The Commander leaned back, an eye ridge raised. "What is this about a Night of Eternal Darkness? Where have you heard anything about that?"

"From my Uncle." Seraph said. "He was researching the Eternal Night after studying the twin moons these last few months. Sir Neptus is afraid that a catastrophic event is coming very soon."

"Sir Neptus, eh?" Saul scratched his beard again. "I've never known a smart scientist such as him to be worried about superstitious legends."

"What reason do you have to doubt our word?" Voden asked. "All we're trying to say is that, if you want to rescue Warfang, than you'll want to do it as soon as possible. If you wait on outside reinforcement, it may be too late."

"Hmph." Saul looked between all of the Guardians. He sighed and shook his head. "Well, I suppose an envoy of Elder Telus and relative of Sir Neptus wouldn't mislead us... but we can't act until the Pappas is back in our custody. I'll keep your warnings in mind... for now."

"Part of me would like to help you in your plan to reclaim the holy city..." Jules said as he straightened out his back. "But alas, my comrades and I have our own mission to worry about."

"Yes, yes, I understand." Saul shook his head. "Finding Elder Telus's granddaughter and her little friends is just as important. Let's hope they're not caught in the crossfire of the battle... or worse, held captive within Warfang."

Seraph gripped into the table and grimaced. She could do without such an insinuation. Voden and Hontus were similarly put off, though the Captain was on the verge of scowling.

"Commander Saul, I am confident that our children, in a dangerous situation they may be in, aren't in the custody of dark dragons." Jules said with confidence. "Emerald, my daughter, is a very smart girl. But that's besides the point."

"Very well, Captain..." Saul nodded with a grin. "So, what will you do now?"

"If it's quite alright with you, I would like for my group to spend the night in the company of you battalion. We'll leave on the morrow to continue our search."

"That's fine with me," The Commander shrugged, "But if you will be spending time in my battalion, perhaps you'd find it fair to join some of my men on their rounds for a little while?"

"Eh?" Jules looked back at Saul curiously. "Are you asking us to fight battles for you?"

"Not quite what I meant, Sir Jules." Saul shook his head. "I believe it would be great for my troops' morale if Guardians were walking among them. Maybe you can inspire them with stories of your victories in past battles against dark dragons."

"Ah, of course. Morale..." Jules exchanged glances with Hontus and Voden. "How do you two feel about encouraging the soldiers of Aeroshard?"

The two fire Guardians looked at each other with unsure faces. Truth be told, none had the best luck when confronting dark dragons recently. And in regards to victories in the Twilight War... Well, that's not for Saul to know.

"I suppose I could speak with the blacksmiths about the finer points of enchanting armor." Hontus said to Saul. "But it would have to be in-between time spent with my wife."

"Very well." Saul said. He turned towards Voden with a grin. "What about you, Mr. Scholar?"

"I'd prefer to make rounds alongside the Captain." Voden declared. "He and I go way back, so most of our stories are intertwined."

"Indeed..." Jules snorted in response. He rolled his eyes back, while Voden's grin widened. Seraph lifted a wing over her muzzle to chuckle at them.

"So what will you do, Miss Seraph?" Olivia asked, drawing Seraph's attention.

"Oh, I suppose I could go for my own walk through the quieter part of the battalion." She said with a smile. "Maybe I could stop somewhere for a rest."

"Perhaps you'd all like to attend dinner with us?" Olivia suggested. Saul looked at her incredulously, but she quickly held a wing up to stop him for speaking. "It wouldn't be becoming of us to deny fellow nobles a lavish dinner. Wouldn't you say so, Saul?"

"I... Er, I suppose not." Saul grunted. "If the Captain would like to attend."

"I'll need time to think about it." Jules said with a smirk. He rose up from the table and stepped back. "For now, I need get moving before my legs cramp up."

"The same goes for me." Hontus stood up with a grunt. "Er, Pardon me."

Saul chuckled. "As you wish. It was a pleasure to meet you all."

The Guardians stood up from the table and all exited the tent. Seraph looked back just long enough to see Saul and his family watching them. She then turned back forwards and picked up their pace.

"Well, they seem friendly enough." Hontus said, draping a wing over Seraph's back.

"I suppose so." Jules grunted. "Though the Commander is a bit too presumptuous for my liking.

"But at least we've got the promise of a nice hot meal tonight." Voden said. "It'll be something to look forward to while we share those 'war stories' with the troops."

"Indeed..." Jules rolled his eyes. "Hontus, Seraph, we'll all meet up again outside Saul's tent at sunset. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain." The two said together.

"Good. Well then..." The Captain turned and walked off towards a row of tents. "Let's go, Voden."

The scholar nodded and trailed behind Jules. Hontus planted a kiss on Seraph's forehead before he turned towards a different line of tents. Soon Seraph was on her own, surrounded by soldiers that went this way and that throughout the camp. She sighed as she looked up at the sky.

 _I hope the children are alright. Especially Rune._

~~...~~

The kitchen was deserted by the time Rune arrived there. The guards had cleared out the most barren of kitchens to ensure nobody saw Rune directly. As Rune sat down in a corner, the guards watched him like hawks over worms. Perhaps they thought he might try sneaking away the first chance he got... and they were right. If only the opportunity arose.

Rune took as much time as he could eating an assortment of sliced fruit, which he was told was kiwi and mango. Rune still wasn't used to them; he wondered why he never came across them in Glenhaven. But whatever the case, he calmly ate in silence.

Once Rune finished eating, he'd be whisked off to the library, where he'd finally come face to face with his father. He simultaneously longed for and dreaded this meeting. Everyone always spoke about the king in hushed tones. But Rune was sure of two things: the black dragon king had conquered Warfang, and was keeping the younglings of the city hostage. Definitely not the ideal father figure.

 _How will he react to seeing me?_ Rune wondered. _And how am I supposed to feel about him?_

Eventually, the guards had grown restless with Rune's constant delaying. With a sigh, Rune had to hurry up and finally finish his mango. The second he had finished, the guards snatched his bowl away to put it in a sink, while another guard ran to fetch Argos. The old dragon wearily stepped into the doorway, pushing it open with his tail.

"You certainly know how to take your time, my prince." Argos said with a light chuckle.

"It's just decent manners." Rune said with a shrug. He carefully stood up and turned towards Argos, his wings folded against his armor.

"Well then, without further ado..." Argos nodded towards each of the guards, and they scrambled to channel their magic. Rune watched as they created another pool of darkness, and another shiver ran down his back. There was just something so frightening about how the energy seemed to silently come from nowhere.

Argos stepped up to Rune and patted his back with a wing. The old drake gave what Rune figured was supposed to be a reassuring smile. "Right this way, Prince Rune. Your family is waiting."

Rune didn't respond. With a forlorn expression, he stepped through the pool of darkness. he shivered as the world seemed to disappear completely. For but a brief moment, he was lost in a void of nothingness. It had filled Rune with dread the first time, and he couldn't bear to look at it for even a second more...

And just like that, the world had returned. Rune's talons clattered against a tiled floor and the air became warmer. Rune took a sigh of relief and opened his eyes. He was relived to be in a familiar setting; a hallway. The double-doors to the library were just at the end of the hall, surrounded by-

Rune froze on the spot. He couldn't believe his eyes. There, standing before the doors to the library... was Albanion, Elza and Aegis.

The trio of dark dragons saw Rune approaching as Argos's magic faded, and they seemed just as surprised as he was. The last Rune had seen of his uncle and aunt was them vanishing into a teleportation cloud back in Glenhaven. He never expected to run into them again here in Warfang.

"Rune?" Albanion asked.

Before Rune could say or do anything to respond, Elza ran forwards to toss her forelegs about him. She hugged him close to her chest, nearly on the verge of tears. Despite the crushing feeling of the hug, Rune didn't fight back. They were family, right? He should be happy to see them again, right?

"I can't believe it..." Elza said, her voice nearly cracking.

"What are you doing here?" Albanion demanded, still amazed. "How did you even get here?"

"I... uh..." Rune stammered. Elza finally let him go so she could back up and look down at him.

"Rose found him in a small fishing village to the south." Argos said, clearing his throat. "She believed him to be the runaway Prince Cyrus at the time. It was a surprise to all of us."

"Has Lord Bane been to see him yet?" Elza asked, her wings fluttering.

"No, not yet." Argos shook his head as he walked forwards. "He's been very busy with his plans. So he's had Rune kept under a close watch for the last few days."

"Of, of course..." Albanion said. He returned to his stoic expression and turned to face the doors. Rune could just barely hear Albanion muttering something under his breath. He was distracted by Elza draping her wing over his shoulder, so he looked up at her.

"I had so many questions when I last saw you..." She said. "But now I have further questions. What were you doing in a fishing village? How did you travel there, and why?"

"It's a little hard to explain, Aunt Elza." Rune frowned. "But I guess the easiest way to put it is... I went looking for my brother."

"For Cyrus?" Aegis asked curiously.

"You remember him?" Elza's eyes brimmed with hope.

"Well, kind of." Rune answered. "There are still some things I'm working on remembering, but I recalled enough to leave Glenhaven to find him at the Well of Souls."

Albanion, Aegis, Elza and Argos all looked down at Rune with surprise. The youngling blinked and held a forepaw over his muzzle. He probably shouldn't of said that.

"...Why would you look for Prince Cyrus in a place like that?" Argos asked in wonder.

Rune looked around. Argos was genuinely confused. But the others had some sense of **knowing** about them. They likely knew Rune's answers already, but feigned ignorance.

"I guess... It was a hunch?" Rune asked.

"A _hunch_?" Elza leaned her head back curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

Rune glanced at Argos quickly, but then shut his eyes to clear his head. He had to word this perfectly...

"I had a feeling that my brother would be in the last place anyone would expect him to be." Rune said. "And that would be in the most dangerous place in all of the dragon realms. You'd have to be an idiot to hide there, so naturally it's the best place to hide."

Argos looked down at Rune incredulously. "That is the most insane thing I've ever heard. Not even Cyrus would be foolish enough to go to there. It was reckless of you to think going to the Well of Souls was a good idea!"

While Argos wasn't looking, Albanion looked between Elza and Aegis, and they all nodded in agreement. Elza quickly cleared her throat and glared.

"Yes, that was very wrong of you, Prince Rune. Very wrong!" She scolded. She quickly winked with one eye before glaring again. "But in any case, I'm still glad you're back with us."

"I..." Rune bit his lower lip. It seemed they wanted him to play along. "I'm sorry?"

"Ugh, this is taking too much time!" Argos exclaimed, tapping the floor with his tail. "His Highness is still waiting. Everyone inside, before we gain his ire."

"Yes, of course." Albanion nodded. He turned around to push the doors open. "Come on. Best not to keep Baneth waiting."

"But shouldn't we...?" Elza began to ask Albanion, only to flinch back at the resolve in his glare. She sighed and let go of Rune. "Very well. Let's go."

While Elza wasn't looking, Rune took a sigh of relief. He'd need to gather his thoughts. What would the trio think of Rune's plan to head north once they were in private? They'd certainly want to know all about his journey so far.

Rune walked between Albanion and Elza as they all entered the library. Aegis stood at the very back, trying to avoid looking at Rune. The youngling couldn't help but look around at such an expansive room. A great number of guards and regular staff were patrolling the upper levels of the library. Scholars were rushing about in a frenzy, organizing books to move them to other parts of the Dragon Spire. Soldiers were given some of the books to toss them into a fireplace.

And in the very back of the room, just before the fireplace, sat the black dragon king atop a golden cushion. Rune froze in place.

The king had heard the doors opening up, and fell silent Deep Shadows had approached. The trio bowed their heads to the ground. "Your Highness."

Bane didn't say a word; he instead locked eyes with Rune. The youngling froze in place, unsure of what to say or do. He had expected his father to take many forms; towering, imposing, threatening, monstrous... And yet there he was, the same height as any dragon. And the king's eyes... they reminded Rune of the face he'd seen in his mirror. The king seemed uneasy, unsure... afraid?

The library doors slammed shut in the distance, drawing both Rune and the king out of their stare. The Deep Shadows stood upright, and Albanion spoke again. "Your Highness? Are you alright?"

"Hmm?" The king glanced between them. "Ah, yes. I can't say I expected any of you three to report in so soon. Not that you're unwelcome, of course."

Rune sat back on his haunches, still uneasy. He had thought that reuniting with his father would be merely like meeting a stranger, since he couldn't recall his father's face. But he'd known that voice, and he couldn't deny the kinship in those eyes.

 _I don't understand these feelings._ Rune frowned. _Why does everything have to be so complicated?_

Rune was taken out of his thoughts when Elza gently pushed him forwards with a wing. She seemed eager to see a reunion between Rune and the king. Rune blushed and struggled to stand upright. He looked up to see the king uneasily glancing between Rune and the Deep Shadows. Albanion's stoic expression weakened a bit, and he directed the king towards Rune with his eyes.

The black dragon king locked eyes with Rune again. He stood up from his cushion, took a deep breath, and walked around the desk to stand before the youngling. But the king made no attempt to hug Rune or sit down... he just stood there, unsure what to make of the youngling.

"For the Ancestors' sake, Baneth!" Albanion exclaimed, stamping his paws. "Aren't you at least going to say something?!"

Elza and Aegis had reeled back in surprise at the outburst. Rune was nearly sent off his paws. Even the king flinched a bit.

"Albanion!" Elza shouted. "Mind your manners!"

"Oh, don't tell me you're not as frustrated as I am, Elza." Albanion snapped. He turned and glared at the black king. "Your son Rune stands before you, alive and well! Do you believe me NOW?!"

"Of course I believe you!" The king shouted back. "Alright, I admit it; I was wrong to brush off what you'd said about Rune. I can see as plain as day that he's still..."

Rune saw his father's face shift uncomfortably for a moment. Was he getting choked up? Rune opened his muzzle to say something, but he just couldn't find the words. On a whim, he looked around at the Deep Shadows again. Albanion took a step back, his face a sneer of irritation. Elza looked on in silent concern, while Aegis took a few uneasy steps backwards.

"Rune..." The king finally said, drawing the youngling's attention again. The king took another step closer, his eyes starting to tear up.

"Father..." Rune said back. It was so strange saying that word. He'd grown so accustomed to referring to his foster parents by their first names. Feeling it was the proper thing to do, Rune stepped forwards and hugged the king's foreleg. The king flinched and awkwardly hugged him with his wing. Rune could hear the king... his father... struggling not to break down into tears. Quite unexpectedly, Rune felt a few tears start to form in his own eyes. But rather than the warmth of family, Rune filled with regret. If only he could remember everything from his childhood. If only he could feel truly happy to be here.

"Oh, It's been far too long since I've seen a moment like this." Elza said , sitting back on her haunches. "All we have to do is find Cyrus, and the family will be reunited once again."

"Yes..." The king said, taking a deep breath. He looked over at the wind dragoness. "Are you all still convinced that Cyrus is heading to the Well of Souls?"

"Well we can't be sure for certain, but it's the best lead we have." Albanion said. "Though you gave us orders not to investigate that matter, remember?"

"I know, I know. It's just..." The king sighed. He looked down sadly at Rune again, and then back up. "Well, you were right about my son. So perhaps you were right about my other son's goals."

"So what will you have us do then, Sire?" Elza asked. "Shall we prepare to embark to the north?"

"I... I can't be certain just yet." The king said. He patted Rune on the shoulder before standing up. "Much must be planned in the little time we have left. Between preparing to go to battle with the battalion outside Warfang, and the coming Eternal Night, I can't be sure if there's time to send anyone to the Well of Souls and have them get back in time."

"Well, just send us, then." Aegis insisted. "After all, we've only just arrived in Warfang. Surely we can leave in time to-"

"No." The king shook his head.

"Sire?" Aegis looked at him in confusion.

"Albanion, Elza, Aegis..." The king proceeded to walk around his desk again. Rune could only stand there uneasily. "You three have travelled far in the last few weeks. You needn't leave to venture to the worst place in the dragon realms so soon."

"But what about Prince Cyrus?" Elza asked.

"Wraith and Lilith are still on the search for him." The king said as he sat down at his desk.. "As much as I am loathe to send anyone there, I'll make contact with those two and see if they're still in the north. I'll have them search for Cyrus there, and retreat to Warfang if they can't find him."

Rune turned his head towards Albanion in time to see him grind his talons into the carpet and bite his lower lip. Once again the silver drake knew more than he let on. Elza and Aegis looked rather uncomfortable as well.

"What's gotten into you three all of a sudden?" The king demanded.

"My apologies, my lord." Elza bowed her head. "It's just that we were eager to find the Cyrus as soon as possible. It's strange to be pulled off the search."

Aegis was quick to bow in time with Elza, though Albanion stayed standing. He looked away with a cold expression, which gave Rune a chill. The king seemed to notice it as well, as he cleared his throat.

"Albanion..." The black drake said. The Deep Shadow turned to look at the king, though he said nothing. The king glared. "Why are you so cross?"

"At lot is on my mind, Baneth." Albanion answered with a flap of his wings. "I'm just concerned for your well-being, as well as the princes'."

"I see..." The king sighed.

Rune looked between Albanion and the king as they studied each other's faces. The air between the adult dragons was growing increasingly unbearable. Not being part of the conversation had grown on Rune's last nerves. He had to say something. Anything...

"Father." Rune said flatly.

"Eh?" The king snapped to attention and looked down. "What is it, my son?"

 _Welp, he's looking right at me_. Rune quietly gulped a bit of air. _I can't get out of it now..._

Rune took a deep breath and looked the king in the eyes. "Father... I've heard a few... _stories_ from the guards while I was up in that tower. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions regarding... well, everything."

The king leaned back and scratched his beard. "Very well, Rune. Ask me anything you want."

"Okay..." Rune sat back on his haunches and stretched out his wings. "Father... did you kill the dragons of Warfang?"

The Deep Shadows looked down at Rune incredulously. Even the king seemed taken aback by such a question. Rune bent his head low, feeling a bit awkward.

 _No, stop it!_ Rune scolded himself. _You'll never know if you don't ask!_ He forced himself to glare up at his father.

"Rune..." The king spoke with trepidation. "That's... That's not something you should ask about. You are just a young dragon."

"But I want to know the truth." Rune said, stamping a paw on the floor. "You promised you'd tell me everything. So, what's happened here in Warfang?"

The king looked down at Rune in disappointment. Rune kept up his stance firm and his eyes glared. His father eventually sighed and bent his head low.

"Alright..." The king said, his eyes shut tight. He stomped his paws and took a deep breath. He then pointed his head to the air and bellowed, "I want EVERYONE besides my son and the Deep Shadows out of here, NOW!"

Rune winced at the loudness of the king's voice. He looked about as the great many guards and staff all gasped in surprise. They immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed to leave the library. Rune turned to look up at the Deep Shadows as they watched the others leave. Once again, Albanion kept his adamant stare while Elza and Aegis showed their discomfort. When they looked down at Rune, he could tell they really didn't want to discuss the fate of Warfang.

Soon, only Rune, the Deep Shadows and the black king remained in the library. The stone doors had all slammed shut, leaving a painful echo in the air. Rune turned back towards his father in time to see him taking a few deep breaths.

"Before I begin, you must understand, Rune." The king said hesitantly. "Warfang was our family's home for nearly a hundred and fifty years. It is your birthplace, and rightfully belongs to the descendants of Lady Cynder."

"And Lord Spyro." Rune quickly added. "You can't forget about him."

The king became irritated for a moment, but quickly put it aside. "Right... of course. You're a smart young dragon."

Rune's father tried to give a proud smile, but Rune wasn't having it. He sat back on his haunches, waiting for some answers. The king frowned and cleared his throat.

"You were born just after the end of the Twilight War. Warfang is your hatchplace, but our family had to flee to a floating city called The Hive. When you were just seven years old, we were attacked by light dragons. And..." The king quickly shut his eyes to stop himself from crying.

"...Our family was torn apart." Rune said. He felt Elza drape a wing over his back again. He looked up to see her trying not to cry. Rune couldn't help but share the feeling.

"I thought I lost you along with my father and wife..." The king said. "But, against all odds, you survived, and you're back with us again." He started to smile again. "Cynder must have been watching after you for all these years."

"Whether she has or not, that doesn't relate to what I want to know." Rune stamped his paws again and stepped out from behind Elza's wing. The king became uneasy; he kept trying and failing to dodge the subject.

"Rune, Warfang was stolen from us by the dragon Richteriel." Bane said with a mild glare. "He was once an advisor to my father, King Urobos. After the dark dragons went into hiding, Richteriel took on the role of Pappas, the ruler of Warfang, in the king's stead. There was an agreement made; once the heat of the war had died down, and I had turned thirty, then I would bring the dark dragons back to Warfang, and reclaim my rightful place as ruler of Warfang."

"But he betrayed you." Rune said.

"He betrayed us ALL!" Bane exclaimed. "We found out only much too late that Richteriel was the leader of a band of hateful, disgusting dragons known as the Order of Culmubrae! Because of him, our people are DYING!"

Rune nearly fell back as he father screamed. Elza quickly draped her wing over Rune's back to shield him. The king realized only a half second later how angry he had become. He stepped back and took several more breaths.

"Rune, forgive me." The king said sadly. "I didn't mean to take my anger out on you."

"I... I forgive you, father." Rune stepped away from Elza again, to her disappointment. "But father, what's become of the Order now? Where is Richteriel? Is he...?"

"Richteriel is still alive." The king answered. "He ran off into hiding after I put an end to most of the higher-ranking members of his Order. But it was never my intention to kill Richteriel himself."

"Did you spare the dragons of Warfang who weren't part of the Order?" Rune asked.

The king sighed. "Rune, the answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. The non-dragons were promised no harm is they stayed out of the combat. And any dragons who surrendered weren't harmed either. But if anyone came against my army..." The king turned his head away, and his eyes darted this way and that.

Rune had a good feeling what the answer was. He felt sick to his stomach. Just the thought of so many dragons being killed was enough to make him dizzy. But Rune forced himself to push those feelings aside, for now.

"Father..." Rune said. "What are you going to do with the dragons who have surrendered? And what about the eggs and the younglings?"

The king looked him the eyes once again. "Reclaiming our rightful home is just one of several parts of my grand plan. My full plan is to restore balance to the powers of light and darkness. And to do that, I shall transform the captured light dragons... into dark dragons."

Rune gasped, his eyes going wide. He quickly turned to look up at Aegis, who flinched back.

"Is that what you did to him?" Rune asked the king, motioning with a wing at Aegis.

"Err..." Aegis grimaced. "He did, yes."

"Aegis was the prototype of sorts." The king declared. "The same thing will be done to all of the abandoned eggs, orphan younglings, and all the dragons under my control."

"But how is that possible?" Rune demanded.

"The answer lies in this, my son..." The king stood up and opened a drawer on his desk. A purple light filled the air as soon as the drawer was open. Rune watched curiously as the king pulled a large, purple crystal from the drawer and held it in the air.

"Do you know what this is?" The king asked.

Rune scratched his head with a wing-thumb for a moment. He had a nagging feeling that he'd seen it before. At first, he remember the time when the Deep Shadows fled from Glenhaven. They had employed a similar purple crystal to teleport away. But as he reflected on the memory, his vision became blurred. Everything faded away, except for the glowing purple crystal.

All at once, another memory flashed through Rune's mind. He was in a dark void floating in nothingness. Someone grasped him tight, while another dragon stood before him with another purple crystal. A deep, metallic voice spoke in a tongue Rune couldn't understand, except for one word:

 _ **"CONVEXITY."**_

"C-Convexity." Rune stuttered, suddenly very light headed. The Deep Shadows scrambled to keep him from falling over. The king gasped, putting the crystal down to dash about the desk.

"What happened?!" The king demanded. "Rune! Alright you alright?!"

"I-I'm fine." Rune quickly said. He shook his head and took several steps back. The further he got from the crystal, the better his head felt. The adult dragons all looked down at him in concern. Rune shut his eyes until his headache faded away.

"Father..." Rune took another breath. "I guess it would be safe to assume you obtained Convexity crystals from the realm that bears its namesake, right?"

The king frowned. "Of course. But..."

"It really wouldn't matter where you got it..." Rune said. "You intend to use it either way, right?"

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, my son?" The king asked.

"Yes!" Rune shouted. "Just please, answer my question."

"Alright, as long as you're sure you're well..." The king sighed again. "My Convexity is the key to everything I'm working for. All that's left is to wait for the Eternal Night, and I can use the augmented power to transform all dragons into our own kind. I will save the dark dragon race."

"And you'll kill anyone who resists?" Rune asked. He began to feel genuine anger once again.

The king looked down at Rune in disappointment. "Rune, you have to understand the bigger picture of the plan..."

"No." Rune shook his head. "You can't do that to the light dragons."

Rune's father glared. "The light dragons hate our kind, Rune. They would never let us take back our home peacefully."

"That doesn't make what you're doing right." Rune glared back. "Father... For the last six years, I've lived in Glenhaven. I was raised by a Guardian and his wife as their adopted son."

"What?" The king raised an eye ridge.

"Their names are Hontus and Seraph." Rune stood up taller. "They, along with their children, treated me like family, even though they didn't know who I was. I can't let you hurt them, or any other light dragons in any city!"

"Rune, I've been told that you were wearing a Shroud the entire time." The king said. "You didn't even know who you were yourself, or so the Deep Shadows have claimed. What makes you think your light dragon 'family' would ever accept you back know what you are now?"

Rune fell silent. His mind raced as he thought back again. But when the thoughts grew too painful, he shut his eyes and gnashed his fangs.

"It doesn't matter!" Rune exclaimed. "You can't do this to the light dragons, father! What would Spyro and Cynder think?"

"What would they think?" The king repeated with a snarl. "What would they THINK?!"

Rune flinched back as the king outstretched his wings and snorted small flames from his nostrils. A chill crept up Rune's spine.

"If they cared about my actions, they would have actively STOPPED me!" The king snapped. "In fact, if they cared at ALL what happened to our people they would have stopped the war LONG AGO! But they've done nothing, because they're GONE!"

"BANETH!" Albanion shouted, quickly dashing to stand between Rune and the king. "Stop yelling at Rune!"

The king glared at Albanion, but then glanced down at Rune in anger. The king took a deep breath and turned around.

"Take my son back to his room in The Nexus.." The king said. "Like I said, the boy can't possibly understand the full scope of everything I've set out to do."

"But your highness-!" Elza started to say.

"I said TAKE HIM TO THE NEXUS!" The king hissed. Elza gasped and stepped back, giving several apologies.

Albanion tapped Rune on the shoulder with a wing. "Let's go, my prince."

Rune opened his mouth to object, but then frowned and bent his head low. "Okay..."

Rune and the Deep Shadows took the long walk to the stone doors. Rune stopped only once to look back at his father. The king had sat down at the desk, angrily flipping through books and scribing words onto parchment. Rune tried to think of something to say, but no words came to mind.

It wasn't long before Rune found himself standing before the door into his brother's bedroom. He turned around to see Albanion standing at the door.

"I'm sorry." Albanion said sadly before closing the door to seal it.

And there Rune was, trapped once again in The Nexus. He slumped to the floor by the bed and sighed in defeat.

 _I've got to stop my father before he destroys countless lives_ , Rune thought. _Maybe... Maybe my mother really IS the only person he'd listen to..._

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

Let me just start off by apologizing for such a long wait between uploads. I had originally intended to take December off as a break for the holidays. But then I unexpectedly got sick with the flu in the first week of January, delaying it further. But I'm feeling better again, and was able to pick up with my writing. And I worked hard to make this chapter as good as possible. Here's hoping I'll be back NEXT week with the next exciting chapter of The Legend of Rune: Rising Fears!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	25. Act 2, Chapter 11

_Maybe father is a little justified in what he's doing..._

Rune had taken off his training armor and tossed it randomly about the room. He wasn't sure what time it was when the guards came to bring him his dinner. But it was the same bread and fruit they'd brought him over the last few nights. And once again, they seemed remorseful that the youngling was left alone in his room.

Rune halfheartedly ate as he kept his eyes on the cloudy sky behind the magical barrier. His father's words were bouncing around in his mind. Rune was now well-aware of the black king's plans, and his revenge against the Order of Culmubrae.

 _The Order took away our home, and tore our family apart_ , Rune sighed. _And they must have done something to cause my amnesia. I just don't know what yet._ The youngling finished his bread and moved on to a sour apple. _Father said he wanted to take back our ancestral home... but wasn't Warfang the home of Light dragons too?_

When the subject of Light dragons came to mind, Rune's thoughts instantly drifted to everyone he knew in Glenhaven. Rune's anger grew, and he dug his talons into the apple.

 _I have family and friends in Glenhaven! None of them should be forced into being transformed! And he doesn't have a right to hurt any of them!_ Rune took his apple and tossed it against a wall. It crashed into a portrait of his family and landed with a splat on the floor. Rune glared at it for a moment, but then sighed and shook his head.

 _What am I doing? Getting mad at fruit? That's not going to help me get out of here_. Rune pushed his dinner tray up against the door and turned towards his bed. _I'm trapped until someone comes to get me again. I might as well just get a nap in._

Rune made sure his dreamstone was placed on the dresser beside the bed. He then spread himself out on the mattress rested his head on a pillow. Rune shut his eyes and relaxed. Time lost all meaning as he returned once again to the dreamless realm of sleep.

But a muffled voice outside his door woke him up.

 _Huh?_ Rune lifted his head up from bed. Was that Aegis?

"We can't just leave him here." Another voice said. It sounded like Albanion. Rune sat up and rubbed his eyes. He carefully pointed an ear frill towards the door to listen as a third voice chimed in.

"But think about what we'd be doing, Albanion." Elza's voice said.

"I would think you of all dragons would want to get him out of here." Albanion snapped.

"Yes, but he's safe and sound now. He's back at home!"

"You call this a home, Elza? He's spent several days locked up in this fortress."

Rune's eyes widened. Were they going to let him out? He carefully stepped over towards the nearest piece of his armor. Rune wasn't sure why; he just felt like he'd need it.

"Albanion, the consequences would be dire." Aegis insisted. "The boy's father would be furious if we-"

"I won't stand by and leave the prince trapped for a day longer." Albanion snapped. "Now be on your way, Aegis."

"If you say so, Albanion." Aegis replied. "I'll try to 'borrow' a carriage in decent time. I'll see you later..."

Rune sat on his haunches as the doorknob unlocked and turned. Rune looked up in time to see Albanion open the door and peer inside.

"Rune?" Albanion asked in surprise. "I didn't think you were awake."

"Uh, Hi, Uncle Albanion." He said sheepishly.

Albanion pushed the door a bit further open to step inside. He was soon followed by Elza, while Aegis closed the door behind them. Rune looked between Albanion and Elza as they sat down on their haunches around the bed.

"What are you doing up this late?" Elza asked.

"I couldn't sleep." Rune said, fluttering his wings. "I couldn't help but think about everything father said."

The two Deep Shadows exchanged concerned frowns. Albanion sighed and stretched out a wing.

"Well, it's for the best that you're up." Albanion motioned towards Rune's satchel. "Pack your things. We need to get you out of here."

So I was right... Rune reassured himself with a nod, then looked back up. "Where are you taking me?"

"I don't know yet." Albanion sighed. "All I do know is that we can't just leave you locked up in this room. You need to be taken somewhere far away from Warfang; it's only going to become an even worse war zone in the coming weeks."

"Well, I guess you're right about that." Rune straightened himself. "We need to head north. I have to-"

"No, Rune." Elza stamped her paw. "You can't go to the Well of Souls."

"What?!" Rune exclaimed.

"You heard me." Elza tapped her talons on the floor, her expression serious.

"But what about the-?!"

"Shh." Albanion said through gritted fangs. "Keep your voice down. You don't want the guards to hear, do you?"

Rune cupped a wing over his muzzle for a moment, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. But after a minute, he cooled off enough to continue arguing with whispers.

"What about Cyrus?" Rune asked, looking at the pair with desperate eyes. "What about the Revival Ritual? Don't you want to help bring back my mother?"

"Rune..." Elza began, her expression weakening. "I miss your mother Elenar every day. As much as I've missed you, and King Urobos. But this ritual... it's seeped in dark magic."

"But-" Rune stammered.

"Darker magic than any of us are used to." Elza interrupted. "None of us are even sure if it'll work. And if it does, we don't know if there are dire consequences. And just the journey there could be-"

"Dangerous, I know!" Rune shouted.

Elza yelped in surprise and stepped back in shock. Rune stood up tall and angrily fluttered his wings.

"Look, I already understand the dangers of making such a journey! I put myself and my friends in jeopardy by running away from Glenhaven. We were attacked by both Crepsculi AND members of the Order!"

"Wait... 'friends'" Albanion repeated. "There were others with you?"

"Yes, Uncle." Rune turned towards him. "Some of my closest friends came with me from Glenhaven on my journey to the Well of Souls."

Albanion's face paled. "Please, tell me they weren't also..."

"Younglings, like me." Rune said with a nod. "And PLEASE don't lecture me about it; I wanted to leave on my own, but they all insisted on joining me. But we got separated in a fishing village when the dragoness called Rose found me."

The drake gave a low groan. He brought his forepaw to his muzzle to rub it. "Younglings..."

"I don't know where they are now." Rune said with a frown. "But knowing Blankridge, he wouldn't want to give up on his 'adventure' and head home. He's probably leading the three girls to the Well of Souls."

"Is this boy prone to doing these things?" Elza asked curiously.

"It's his first time outside of Glenhaven's walls." Rune looked at her. "So it's most likely, Aunt Elza."

"So, four other younglings have gone and endangered themselves at the worst possible time..." Albanion growled. He shut his eyes, tilted his head back, and took several breaths. Elza didn't fair much better. Rune grew uneasy, so he sat back on his haunches.

"Listen..." Rune said quietly. "I need to continue north to the Well of Souls, even if just to make sure my friends are okay."

Albanion finally looked back down to look at Rune, his eyes showing sympathy.

"Rune, I can understand your desire to ensure that your friends are safe and sound." Albanion lowered his head down to eye-level with the youngling. "But none of you should have ever left Glenhaven."

"I know it was dangerous, alright!" Rune shouted. "Don't repeat to me what I already know! I don't need another lecture on that!"

"Rune, listen to me!" Albanion snapped. Rune yelped and stepped back. Albanion took another breath and continued.

"Rune, none of you could have known the nightmare that's been brewing across the Dragon Realms. Glenhaven was an ocean away from the literal STORM brewing, and even THAT may not be far enough away. But now you and are in the HEART of the storm. You need to be taken as far away from here as possible."

"But what about my friends?" Rune demanded. "I can't just abandon them."

"They're not going to be abandoned, Rune." Albanion shook his head. "The you father is going to tell our companions Wraith and Lilith to search the Well of Souls for Cyrus. There's a slim chance that they'll come across your friends. But the chances may be slim."

 _So, I'm just supposed to leave my friends' fate up to chance?_ Rune frowned and looked down at the floor.

"Rune..." Albanion lifted the younglings' chin up. "I'm sorry, but we can't risk putting you anywhere near the Well of Souls. But we'll do what we can to get you to a safe place in the south. Do you trust us?"

Rune looked between Albanion and Elza. Albanion's expression was ambiguous, while Elza was more welcoming. The youngling sighed and stood upright.

"Okay, I trust you." He said. "But how am I supposed to get out of Warfang without being seen?"

"Don't worry; I've been developing a plan." Albanion replied. He turned towards Elza, who nodded and went about to gather Rune's training armor. "First and foremost, I need to know what elements of magic you possess. How skilled are you, my prince?"

"I studied up on fire magic while in Glenhaven, but I know a bit of the other three light elements." Rune said, fluttering his wings.

"Do you know how to use the shadow element?" Albanion asked.

Rune shook his head no. "I don't even know how to learn them."

"I see..." Albanion scratched his chin. "In that case, you're going to have to learn to use dark magic rather quickly."

"But isn't that going to take too much time?" Rune asked. "You wanted us to get on the move, right?"

"Yes... but it will take time for Aegis to complete his end of the plan." Albanion replied. "He's making some... arrangements for us to ride out of here in an iron carriage. But the tricky part is giving him enough time while also getting you out of here in decent time. Do you follow me?"

"I guess I do..." Rune shrugged.

"We'll help you along the way, Rune." Elza said. She walked up to the youngling with his armor and satchel. "Here, put this on."

"Okay." Rune spent a few moments reattaching his armor. As he did that, Albanion opened the door and carefully peered outside at the hall.

"It's uncharacteristically vacant out there tonight." He said with a sneer. "While that's helpful for getting you out of here, my prince, it unnerves me that no one's on active duty."

Rune nodded as he adjusted his shoulder-guards. When he stopped to think of it, it was odd that nobody came by to retrieve his dinner trey; it still sat there on the floor by the door.

"We need to get out of here while we've got the chance." Elza said. "Here, Rune, put your satchel on."

"Don't forget my dreamstone." Rune motioned with a wing towards the swirling sapphire.

Elza curiously picked the stone up to examine it in the dim light. "A Dreamstone? What do you have one of these for?"

"It's a long story..." Rune finally finished putting his armor on. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

"Very well." Albanion opened the door. Elza put Rune's satchel over his neck, and the two followed Albanion out into the hallway. Albanion locked the door behind them, motioned towards a staircase. While Rune followed Albanion, Elza turned another way and dashed out of a window with a burst of wind magic. With a flap of her wings, she was gone almost faster than Rune could blink.

"Move quickly, and be quiet." Albanion whispered to Rune.

Rune followed Albanion down the staircase and into a hallway. Albanion went on ahead a short distance, peering around corners to see if anyone was coming. When the coast was clear, Albanion motioned with his tail for Rune to follow. Rune thought about what his friends would think if they were in this situation.

 _Blankridge would probably get bored and run off._ Rune snickered. _And Emerald would pout and hound after him._ Rune mellowed out. _Nellie and Roxanne might be a little scared of running into dark dragons again. I hope all of you guys are okay._

Albanion eventually came to a stop on what Rune assumed was the "ground floor" of the fortress. He stuck his head out the window for a moment, but then looked left and right down the surrounding corridor.

"Aegis is should be waiting for us with that carriage soon." Albanion said as he dashed around a corner. He motioned for with a talon for Rune to look out a window. "Elza and I can head out with little difficulty, but we can't risk anyone seeing you."

By the time Rune got to the window, he saw Elza passing by a short distance away. She was standing in the middle of the courtyard of the fortress, keeping a lookout for other dragons.

"What you need to do, Rune, is use the shadow-jump technique." Albanion said.

"How do I do that?" Rune tilted his head curiously.

"I may not be as magically adept as Wraith is, but I know the basics on how a young black dragon learns to use the elements." Albanion turned to look down at Rune. "Just follow my instructions, Rune."

"Okay." Rune nodded his head.

"Good. First off, close your eyes."

Rune carefully closed them, sitting back on his haunches to keep balance.

"Take slow... deep breaths." The Deep Shadow instructed. Rune felt Albanion tapping his chest over his heart. "In and out, in and out. And reach within yourself to find the core of your magic."

Rune inhaled and exhaled, keeping his body calm and serene. His mind looked within himself to find his magic.

"Every thing that exists casts a shadow." Albanion said. It is the darkness that blankets all of creation. The true self. Push beyond the physical barriers of your body, and travel to the space between spaces. You do not merely _cast_ a shadow; you _are_ the shadow."

"I... am..." Rune spoke softly as his mind wrapped around the core of his magic. "The shadow."

Rune felt himself sinking into the ground as if it were a pool. He kept sinking until only his head was above the surface. He lost all sense of gravity as his paws swatted about in a formless void.

"Don't be afraid, my prince." Albanion said. "And keep your eyes shut until you're completely submerged in your shadow."

Rune kept his eyes shut, but couldn't help but take a gulp of air before his head sunk beneath the surface. Instincts tricked him into thinking he was about to splash into a body of water. But instead, Rune opened his eyes to find that he was "swimming" in an endless body of darkness. He looked up to see Albanion looking down into the pool with a nod of approval.

"Good work, Rune." He said. "You can use this technique to 'slide' across floors and walls. And you can emerge as long nothing's blocking your pool."

"But what if it closes behind me?" Rune asked worriedly. "Wouldn't I be trapped in here?"

"You have nothing to worry about." Albanion reassured. "All you have to is concentrate."

"But... what if I..."

Albanion sighed. "Rune, I'm here to keep a close watch on you. If you're afraid that the pool will seal you inside, I'll reach in and pull you free. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, Uncle." Rune shook his head.

"Alright." Albanion nodded. "Now, make your way through the window and emerge. Go!"

Rune "swam" his way along the floor and up the side of the wall. He passed harmlessly through the glass and "dived" down lower to reach the grass. Rune didn't move to rise out of the darkness until he saw Albanion open the window and fly out. As Albanion landed his paws on the grass, Rune emerged just to the side of him.

Albanion looked down at him with a nod of approval, while Elza smiled brightly. Rune smiled back; it felt good being able to wield a new element of magic. He just might put it to good use later.

Albanion quickly shut the window again and turned around to whisper. "That was just the first step in our trek out of here. What we do next might be a bit more complicated, but if you pay attention, we should be fine. Got it, my prince?"

"I understand, Uncle." Rune fluttered his wings.

"Good." Albanion stepped forwards. "Here's what you're going to do next..."

~~...~~

General Grail snorted as rain droplets landed on his muzzle. He shook it about to knock the excess water off.

 _I understand the importance of making flight difficult for our enemies_ , he thought, _but blast it all, I'm bound to catch a cold!_

Grail marched down the main road of Warfang. He was patrolling the area around the inner roads surrounding the Dragon Spire. Two dozen soldiers followed behind him in lock-step. He had a grim face as he made his way south.

Grail had become concerned over a series of rumors that were travelling quickly amongst his soldiers. It started when a few of his Poison dragons reported that the Deep Shadow Wraith had passed through Warfang. Wraith apparently warned them that a secret entrance out of Warfang had been discovered by an "anonymous source." After Wraith passed on to the north, his words passed from soldier to soldier about the secret entrance. Some speculated that it had to do with the old ruins beneath Warfang. When Grail learned of it himself, he went to report to the king immediately. But Bane was evidently busy planning and dealing with personal matters. So, the General decided to take matters into his own paws.

"Where should we search first for the tunnels, sir?" One of the soldiers asked.

Grail turned and looked over his soldiers. He scratched his thick chin in thought for a moment, and then clicked his tongue.

"I want the shadow dragons to search every building in the slums." Grail ordered. "Fewer dragons lived there, so that's a perfect spot for secret passages. Go, and report back to me in two hours!"

"Yes, sir!" Eight soldiers said as they saluted. All at once, the shadow dragons surrounded themselves with auras of black mist. They all dived into their shadows in sync, and in an instant they were gone. Grail grinned in satisfaction.

"Sir!" One of the dragons spoke up from the back.

"Eh?" Grail shifted so his one good eye can look behind his men at the dragon who spoke. It was Marcus, the young poison dragon that the king had entrusted to spy on Richteriel.

"Ah, it's you." Grail raised the eye ridge of his scarred eye. "What do you want, Marcus? Shouldn't you be doting on that brother of yours?"

Marcus leaned back, his purple mane ruffled. Grail gave a stoic face, even if he internally chuckled at the fervor in Marcus's eyes.

"General, it doesn't matter that my recon mission has ended." The drake pounded his chest.

"That's good, because I don't recall anyone relieving you of duty." Grail smirked. "But if you've got something to say, step forwards, Marcus."

Marcus stepped a bit closer, though he kept his steps in line with his fellow soldiers. He pounded his chest hard to salute.

"The Aeroshard Battalion is currently searching for one of the secret passages into Warfang, my General." Marcus. "If you'd pardon this lowly grunt's opinion, the light dragons won't be frightened by our king's crepsculi forever. I say we take the initiative and launch a sneak-attack on those light dragon bastards."

Grail looked about at the faces of his soldiers. Most of them held that thousand-yard stare, though a few glared at Marcus for speaking out of line. Grail decided to turn around to consider his options.

It wasn't exactly the best etiquette for a soldier to tell his commanding officer a battle strategy. But the General DID give him permission to speak his mind. After all, Marcus performed a great service by spying on the enemy in the name of the black king. All in all, Grail decided to cut Marcus some slack.

As for sneak-attacking the light dragons' camp... If Grail sent too few soldiers, they'd be overrun and most likely killed. If Grail sent too many, it would trigger a large-scale battle against the Aeroshard Battalion. And King Bane seemed adamant on biding his time until the Eternal Night arrived before unleashing the wrath of his army of darkness. But having SOME dark dragons hiding in the battalion could prove useful...

"Thank you for your input, Marcus." Grail turned back around. "But a full-on attack is out of the question."

"Y... Yes, sir." Marcus said, trying to hide his disappointment. "Forgive me, General."

"But if it's any consolation, perhaps I can put your talents to good use once again." Grail focused his eye on the poison drake. "I'm assigning you to another recon mission on behalf of the king."

"Sir?" Marcus tilted his head curiously.

"You and three others shall spy on Commander Saul and his advisors." Grail looked out amongst the soldier. "Reven, Stein, and Akora. You'll accompany Marcus on his spying mission."

"Yes, General!" The three dragons saluted in unison. Marcus glanced back at them, then quickly faced the General and saluted as well.

 _There we go._ Grail grinned. _A full set of poison, wind, shadow and fear._

The General cleared his throat and yelled, "The four of you have your mission. Now off with you!"

"Yes, Sir!" The four dragons declared. They reached into their satchels and produced small purple gems. They charged the gems with dark energy and tossed them at the ground, where small geysers emerged. The foursome charged through the energy and vanished from sight.

With any luck, we'll fine some useful information.

"Now, that just leaves the rest of you." Grail addressed the remaining twelve dragons. "We shall inspect the inner rim of the city for secret tunnels. The last thing we need is an opportunity for the light dragons to retake the Dragon Spire."

"Yes, sir." The soldiers saluted again. Grail never got tired of seeing that. In all his years as the general of the black king's army, nothing gave him more confidence than seeing a line of well-oiled war machines ready to fight for honor and glory.

Grail led his squadron down the eastern rode, and marched in a counter-clockwise pattern around the inner rim. When he came to a connecting minor rode, he'd send a pair of his soldiers to fly through and inspect the buildings that faced the Dragon Spire. Each soldier was assigned a partner, and the pair had control of at least six crepsculi thanks to their convexity crystals. All dark dragons were told to stick together; if any soldier's partner suddenly disappeared or went silent, they were to use their convexity crystals to alert the whole squadron. Light dragons still outnumbered them by at least twenty to one; every loss of a soldier was a heavy one.

Eventually, Grail found himself alone with a pair of wind dragons. They summoned no less than a dozen crepsculi, all snarling and darting their beady little eyes this way and that.

 _They're hideous beasts, but they're perfect for sniffing out light_. Grail smirked.

Grail led the way towards a set of stables that were situated across from the gardens beside the Dragon Spire. This was where iron carriages were maintained in case provisions needed to be sent to the walls of the city. Only a few carriages were currently parked for maintenance, with four wind dragons hurriedly scrubbing away. As Grail passed by, the dragons stopped what they were doing and saluted him. He scanned their faces for a moment and snorted. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary...

And that's when Grail saw HIM at the very end of the stall. A rotund dragon that SOMEHOW had the right to wear the same dark robes as any other Deep Shadow. He was carefully clearing out the spare parts from within the carriage for some reason.

Grail approached from behind and snorted. "...Hello, Aegis."

Aegis seemed to be on edge, as he nearly leaped out of his scales. The dark-brown dragon spun around, using his telekinesis to lift up several large boxes. But when Aegis saw Grail's face, he gasped and put the boxes down.

"Oh, Good evening Grail." Aegis said as he scratched the back of his head with a wing-thumb. "Didn't realized you were out patrolling at this hour."

"Of course I am, fool." Grail snorted again. "I always have to keep an eye out for... enemies."

"Ah, right, right..." Aegis stood up and straightened himself out. Aegis was fatter, but still just as tall as the General. Aegis nervously scratched his unsightly beard and wiped the thick rat's nest of a mane out of his eyes.

 _What was Bane thinking?_ Grail snarled internally. _It was one thing to use this fat tub and his family as test subjects for his transformation ritual... but to elect Aegis AND his wife to the role of Deep Shadow?! What had they done to deserve that right? How did one act of service to the king measure up against years of loyalty?!_

"...Uh, General?" Aegis asked dubiously. "Why are you staring like that?"

"What are you doing in Warfang, messing about with one of the carriages of all things?!" Grail demanded. "Weren't you with Albanion's group searching for the prince?!"

"Calm down, Grail." Aegis said uneasily. "The three of us arrived in Warfang a few nights ago."

"Oh, Really?" The General asked sarcastically as he narrow his eye. "I never received word of their return."

"That is because, my General, I take orders directly from Albanion." Aegis stretched out his one wing. "And Albanion decided that we would take a few days to gain our strength before continuing with our mission."

 _Ah, of course. More of the disjointed hierarchy of the Deep Shadows_. Grail internally snarled. _I am of equal rank as a crippled old far, and I take orders from a dragon half my age. I should be the leader of the Deep Shadows, not that emotionless salve-maker!_

"And as you can see, Grail..." Aegis motioned towards the carriage. "I am sprucing up this carriage for use on our travels, since our old one was lost in Glenhaven."

"You lost a carriage?!" Grail snapped. "Those things were precious recourses, Aegis! I pray to Lady Cynder that you didn't leave behind vital information those desert-dwellers can use against us!"

"C-Calm your bones, my General." Aegis said, trying to hide a stammer. "The king already knows about what happened down there and planned accordingly."

Grail sneered. Loyal as he was to the bloodline, he hated it when the young king made decisions without at least consulting him. Nothing was like this when Urobos was king...

"General, you're staring again." Aegis said with a concerned face. "Do you need to sit down?"

"Hmm?" Grail's eye widened. He shielded himself with a wing. Why did he let himself trail off so much?

"I'm as healthy as an ox, thank you very much." Grail spat. "Just... Don't you DARE make any more mistakes wherever you're headed next. The Eternal Night is almost upon us. There's no telling what will happen to a dragon like... **you**."

"Well..." Aegis grimaced. "Thank you for your, uh... concern, Grail."

Grail snorted yet again. He turned around to leave, only to be stopped by Aegis's next question.

"How is your grandson Chalice doing?" Aegis fluttered his wing. "Has he gotten over that cold yet?"

Grail came to a stop, his eye widening partially. He had been so caught up in his service to patrol the city that he'd neglected to think about Chalice. At only twelve years old, the boy was Grail's only remaining family after the attack on The Hive. It was hard raising a grandson while leading an army.

"...The boy is fine." Grail said, shutting his eye. "Once he recovered, he was put in the fortress to rest with the other younglings."

"Ah... Right, of course." Aegis sighed. "I had almost forgotten about that step of the plan."

"It's quite unfortunate that your wife decided to bring your daughter with her to search for prince Cyrus." Grail said as he turned back around. "Your little Tina might soon be the only youngling to remember the harsh world that the dark dragons have liven in for years. Of course..." Grail glared. "It's quite a coincidence that **your whole family** left The Nexus a month prior to the king enacting his plans."

"Yes. Quite." Aegis gave an awkward cough and looked away. "A coincidence."

"I'm done here." Grail turned to walk away, signaling for his soldiers to follow. "Good luck in your endeavors, Aegis. And always watch your back."

"Um... Goodbye, General." Aegis replied nervously. "And I'll, uh, keep that advice in mind."

 _Bloody artificial "dark" dragon_ , Grail snarled. _I can't believe I'll have to live with many more of them soon._

The General continued on into the rainy night. He had so many more streets to inspect...

~~...~~

Getting out of Warfang undetected proved to be rather tricky.

From what Rune could understand, the Deep Shadows couldn't use their crystals to teleport because the convexity was tied to directly to the black king; he'd sense them using it to leave and be after them in a heartbeat. And neither Albanion nor Elza wanted to deal with the stress of answering too many questions if any civilians saw them.

Rune spent most of the trip hiding inside Albanion and Elza's shadows. One would fly off ahead a short distance, and then the other would coordinate a quick shadow-jump for Rune to teleport across the way. He'd only emerge just long enough to get a quick gulp of air. He didn't need it, but it still felt therapeutic.

It was quite a strange feeling, stepping in and out of shadows all the time. Rune could just barely keep up with Albanion and Elza as they flew or dashed across buildings. The constant barrage of rain didn't help at all. Several times when Rune emerged from a shadow, his muzzles twitched and he sneezed. It grew worried that he was going to catch a cold.

 _I wonder what the Chronicler is thinking right now, now that I'm going AWAY from the Well of Souls..._ Rune sighed. _I should turn back and find my way north... but then I'd be alone..._

Rune kept following the Deep Shadows until they arrived at the edge of the southern wall. Aegis was waiting by an opening in the wall. The burly drake had prepared an iron carriage just beyond the opening.

"All according to plan..." Albanion sighed in relief.

Rune emerged from a shadow once Albanion and Elza came to a landing. Immediately the cold air of the night bombarded his scales, making him shiver allover. Aegis was startled at first, but then took a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Prince Rune." Aegis chuckled nervously. "I wasn't aware you knew how to shadow-jump."

"I just learned how to do it." Rune shrugged. He sneezed and wrinkled his nostrils. Though the strange sensation of floating in the void was gone, the feeling that he'll get sick was even more disheartening.

Albanion stepped up to Aegis and patted him on the shoulder. "Were you followed?"

"For the most part, no." The burly drake said. "But I fear that General Grail might suspect me of something. That drake has never liked me."

"Don't worry; it's rare for the cyclops to like anyone." Elza snickered.

"Even so, we must make haste." Albanion quickly grabbed the side door. "Hurry, my prince; get inside."

"Alright..." Rune hopped up the steps into the carriage, his tail striking the door in his hurry. He grabbed his tail with a wince as he sat down; he should've been more careful.

As the youngling tended to his bruise, Elza stepped in after him. She looked over him with concern. "Are you alright, Rune?"

"I'm fine..." Rune said, though he winced again as he sat on his haunches. He shivered again and folded his wings over his body.

Elza looked down at him in concern. After she closed the carriage door, she sat down by Rune's side. She outstretched a wing, offering it to Rune as a blanket. Rune gently grasped her wing and held it around his back.

"Th-Thank you, Aunt Elza." He said.

"You're very welcome, little one. " She smiled.

Rune heard Albanion sit in the rider's seat beside Aegis at the front of the carriage. As the wheels started turning, the carriage shook and bumped on its way. Rune had to struggle to keep from being tossed from side to side.

Elza looked at him and lightly chuckled. "Have you rode in many carriages during your time in Glenhaven, Rune?"

"Not really." Rune fluttered his wings. "I usually just... flew around, you know?"

"True, but I doubt anyone would have the patience to fly in a storm like this." Elza pulled down the window to look outside. Rune saw the carriage rapidly emerging through the hole in the wall of Warfang. Once it was outside, loud thumps rang out as Aegis climbed up to the roof of the carriage. There was a flash of green magic, and tons of debris lifted up from the ground and quickly covered the hole in the wall. Rune gasped as the wall was repaired in seconds.

"Wow!" He exclaimed.

"You didn't think we'd leave a hole in the wall, did you?" Elza asked. "We couldn't give the Aeroshard forces an opportunity to sneak inside."

"Right..." Rune looked away, becoming uneasy again.

Elza frowned. "What's wrong, my prince?"

"Aunt Elza..." Rune looked up at her. "Do you approve of what my father did to Warfang and its dragons?"

Elza's eyes widened, and then her features drooped. "My prince... It's a little hard for me to say..."

"Why is that?" Rune asked. "It's just a simple yes or no."

"Rune, the dark dragons had a lot taken away from them because of the war." She said. "We were betrayed by the few light dragons we thought were our friends... The king wants to take back what's ours."

"So it's okay to hurt countless innocent people?" Rune demanded.

"I didn't say that, Rune." Elza sighed. "What your father is doing... it's all an act of vengeance. Paying an eye for an eye. And a lot of the king's followers have the same idea."

"But, then that's just doing what the Order did to us." Rune said. He angrily gripped down on Elza's wing. She winced and pulled his wing away, making him gasped and looked down. "Uh, sorry about that."

"It's okay..." Elza flapped her wing a few times before draping it over his back again. "And I suppose you're right about your father's actions. You're very smart for a thirteen year old boy."

"If what father is doing is wrong, then why don't any of you stop him?" Rune flapped his wings. "He's going to hurt so many dragons!"

Elza's ear frills drooped. "It's complicated, Rune. Even if we'd be doing the right thing, other Deep Shadows may perceive it as treason. It could incite a power struggle between the factions serving under the king." The dragoness nervously wracked her talons against the floor. "And that's the last thing any dark dragon would need with Aeroshard sitting on Warfang's doorstep."

"But..." Rune bit his lower lip. "Surely there's a way for the dark and light dragons to find a middle ground to discuss things..."

Elza shook her head. "Listen, my prince. Just because something might be the _right_ thing to do, that doesn't make it a _smart_ thing to do. For better or worse, the dark dragons have taken Warfang. Things cannot be repaired just by trying to sit and talk. You'll understand this better someday."

"Alright, Aunt Elza..." Rune said with his head facing the floor. He didn't want to believe what she said, but he couldn't help but fear the worst.

 _I'm in way over my head, aren't I?_

~~...~~

"I just still can't believe it, sir." Voden said with a frown.

He and Jules were walking around the northern side of the camp. They had spent the better part of the day speaking with some of Saul's soldiers. Many of them had never met a Guardian up close before, and were enthralled to hear Jules' stories. Jules recounted some of his days serving as Elder Telus's apprentice in combat, while Voden explained the intricacies of studying to become as knowledgeable as the fabled Guardian Volteer. Jules new the stories were a bit of a snore, even if the soldiers put on the show of being entertained.

Once the war-stories were finished up, Jules and Voden were invited to patrol about the camp grounds as some of the soldiers did their rounds. Not wanting to just stand around all day, Jules and Voden "happily" obliged. And here they were, walking here and there around the edge of camp. It was a rare moment when the soldiers left the two Guardians alone. They finally had time to speak on more personal matters.

"What are you talking about, Voden?" Jules asked, having been distracted from looking at the sky.

"Warfang... taken by Dark dragons." Voden shook his head and sighed.

"Well, there's the proof of the matter." Jules said as he pointed a gauntlet towards the storm-clouds over the city. "Magical clouds summoned by the black king. It's as clear as day, ironically."

"I know that." The scholar snorted. "It's just that Warfang was once the most sacred city for the dark dragons. I remember Nerona telling me about how she had family there once."

"Ah... Her." Jules grunted. He recalled the story Voden and Seraph told him about the elusive assailant. "That dragoness is more proof of the matter, this time how dragons can change drastically. Perhaps even an entire sub-race can chance their tune on how precious a city is."

Voden became uneasy. He glanced away, nibbling his lower lip, before looking back. "She used to be such a friendly dragoness... But I guess that war did terrible things to people."

"Aye..." Jules nodded. "Some for the better, some for the worse."

The two Guardians came to a stop by a vacant tent near the northeastern edge of the camp. They looked up at the sky as storm-clouds started forming on the horizon, independent of the ones over Warfang. Jules grimaced at the sight. As if the outskirts needed any more rain. Jules took off one of his gauntlets and stretched out his forepaw. He had it on for so long that it was starting to itch.

"So, Captain..." Voden said quietly. "What do you make of Commander Saul?"

"I can't stay for sure." Jules said as he wiped his gauntlet down. "He's extended family on my wife's side. He's also in charge of retaking Warfang. But I can't say I know him personally."

"Did he make any impression on you?" The scholar turned to look at Jules. "What do you think of him as a dragon?"

"Excuse me, Voden?" Jules turned towards the scholar and raised an eye ridge. "As far as I'm concerned, Saul is someone who exists. I've had minimal interaction with him, and I'll likely rarely speak with him again once this whole mess has been dealt with."

"So, you're just going to brush this whole encounter under the rug? Why, Sir?"

"It's not like I have any grudges or ulterior motives, Voden." Jules shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe an event will happen in the near future that will have me communicated with the Commander on a more personal level. But until that happens, I'm content with Saul and I mutually respecting one another."

"Well, I can't claim to know the future..." Voden stretched out his back. "My goodness, we've been walking for quite a while. I think I'd rather go have a nice sit down somewhere nearby. Care to join me, Captain?"

"No, it's fine." Jules straightened up. "This back of mine was made for marching and standing for hours on end."

Voden chuckled and walked away. "Suit yourself, Captain. I'll see you at dinner."

Jules grunted in response and turned to resume looking at the stars.

For the first time in a long while, he was alone. The Captain fanned out his wings, letting the hustle and bustle of the camp die down. He tilted his eyes downwards to look at the surrounding outskirts. He felt a fire of anger growing in his belly the longer he stood there.

 _Blast it all, Emerald. Jules sneered. Letting yourself run off on some insane "adventure" with the prince of the dark dragons..._ Jules started to growl, but forcibly stopped himself. _No, we didn't know that about Rune before this whole mess. Clearly you still think highly of your friend if you'd want to help him accomplish... whatever it is he wants. But I can't believe you'd endanger yourself like this! When I find you, I'm gonna... I'm gonna..._

Jules felt water running down the side of his cheek. And it wasn't the rain.

The captain took a step back, struggling to compose himself.

 _Blast it all, Jules._ He snarled at himself. _You are a soldier! You are a CAPTAIN! You may not be an earth dragon, but your mettle is stronger than any rock! You can't let yourself succumb to... worry..._

Jules took a few steps back, clutching his face. He closed his eyes tight, trying in vain to fight the tears. As Jules thought about Emerald and her friends, he began to think of what sort of predicament they'd found themselves in. Maybe they were surrounded by hordes of nightmarish creatures. An eerie, siren-like noise filled the air. The younglings were stranded in an ever-thickening red fog. He could almost see their faces frozen in horror as they had no hope of escape. Jules's breathing became erratic. He raced as fast as he could to get to the children, his forepaws reaching out to them.

 _"Daddy, help us!"_ Emerald shrieked. "Save us, PLEASE!"

 _I've got to... rescue... the children!_ Jules howled as he raced towards them.

But no matter how close he ran, the children always stayed beyond his reach. He tried to spread his wings to fly, but his back was too heavy. He was weighted down by an endless stream of failures. While Jules he could only watch at the creatures overtook the children, clawing and grasping their limbs to drag them away.

 _No!_ Jules shouted. _Emerald, I'm COMING!_

As Jules ran forwards, he heard several hissed and shouts behind him. Jules came to a stop and turned to look back. Hontus, Voden and Seraph were standing behind him, along with Telus and Mimet. Their faces were blurred, save for their glares of disdain.

 _What are you all doing?!_ Jules exclaimed. _Help me save the children!_

 _"And why should we lit a talon to help you?"_ Hontus demanded. _"You're the Captain, Jules! It should be YOUR responsibility to ensure the safety of the younglings."_

 _What?!_ Jules was taken aback. _But... But they're YOUR children too!_

 _"As Captain, YOU are were in charge of rescuing them!"_ Voden spat. _"If you can't accomplish the task, why are you even HERE?!"_

 _You... You can't be serious..._ Jules stepped back fearfully as the other Guardians descended on them. He could still her the shrieks of the children, and the siren-like wail.

"The children are DYING." Telus snarled, his glare piercing right through Jules's spirit. "They have fallen prey to the dark dragons, because of YOU.

 _Elder Telus, wait!_ Jules howled. _I did all that I could!_

 _"You're a disgrace to the Guardians, and your father's legacy."_ Telus snarled. _"Get out of my sight, and go back to smoking your precious pipe!"_

Jules's entire being shook in fear. His heart beat like a drum. Telus and the Guardians circled around him, all of them chanting in unison.

 _"Disgrace, Disgrace, Disgrace..."_

No... Jules bent his head low and wrapped his tail about his legs. His armor had vanished, leaving him alone atop a pile of broken pipes. Telus and the Guardians faded away along with the sounds of the children. He was left stranded with nothing but the sound of the siren-like wail...

Which he suddenly realized was coming from BEHIND him. Droplets of water splattered on Jules's face, rolling down his armor and onto his paws.

 _Wait a minute..._ Jules opened his eyes, finding himself stranded in the outskirts again. It was still raining, but the red fog was still there. Jules growled a bit. When had he ever doubted himself THAT MUCH? And just where was that wailing coming from?

It took the sounds of quiet steps to alert Jules to the presence behind him. As the Captain spun around, he noticed four pairs of eyes hiding in the darkness of the night. The closest pair had a wide-open maw, out of which came the insidious wailing noise.

Jules's eye twitched. He leaped back, spreading his limbs out. It was fear magic!

"Dark dragons!" he hissed.

The captain's shout was met with a twirling cyclone from one the second-closest dragon. Jules leaped back and squinted as more wind-elemental attacks crashed against his body. When he recovered, he saw the four dragons leaping through the air, all of them preparing their own elemental energy. They slammed down on the ground in a semi-circle around Jules, all of their bodies brimming with magic.

Without another word, Jules jumped backwards and took a deep breath. He reached within himself and summoned forth his lightning. The captain spread his limbs out in an attack formation. His entire body hissed and crackled as lightning danced across his scales and armor.

The wind dragon once again unleashed a furious flurry of cyclones in the captain's direction. Jules conjured an arc of lightning in his maw. He opened his maw just enough to unleash a single stream of electricity forwards. With but his will and a slight turn of his head, he bent the lightning this way and that to strike through the smaller cyclones.

The fear dragon flew around the side and tried to strike Jules with his wail again. The captain used his whip to grapple the dragon's muzzle, forcing him to swallow the wail before slamming him into the ground. The dragon twitched and thrashed as his eyes clouded over with red fog.

"Reven!" One of the assailants shouted before snarling at Jules.

 _That must be one of their names._ Jules decided.

While Jules was distracted, the shadow dragon emerged from beneath him in a pool of darkness. The captain was knocked off his feet, but he didn't lose his grip on the electro-whip. The shadow drake vanished in his pool, only to emerge again by Jules's side to claw at his thigh. Jules merely leaned back and kicked the dragon HARD in the chest with a hind leg.

As that went on, the poison dragon leaped across the way to slash at Jules's neck. The captain jumped to the side, his armor taking the brunt of the attack. Jules twirled about, swinging his electro-whip around in a wide arc. The poison dragon was knocked onto his side, but the others managed to fly out of the way.

The shadow dragon sent his forepaws through a pool to grab at Jules's hind-paws from a considerable distance away. As Jules struggled to shake free, the wind and poison dragons went for his wings. Jules had to dissipate his electro-whip so he could launch lightning-bolts towards his attackers. Once they were forced back, Jules finally managed to kick his hind-paws free and pull himself out of the pool of darkness.

It was at this time that the fear dragon finally recovered from his own wail. He hissed and snarled at Jules, though didn't make a run for him. Instead, he filled his talons with dark red energy, making them glow. The wind and shadow dragons got the same idea, while the poison dragon hung in the back.

I can't keep fighting a four-on-one fight forever, Jules snarled. There's only one way to handle this...

Every fiber of Jules's being was filled with elemental power. He dug all of his talons deep into the dirt. He took in the deepest breath he could as the energy reached its boiling point. The three dragons came charging forwards, ready to sink their fangs into his sides. All at once, Jules let the power run free.

There was a massive flash of yellow light all throughout the camp as Jules unleashed his Fury. A massive burst of lightning flew into the air in the blink of an eye, which immediately rained down as countless smaller bolts. Jules heard his opponents scream as they were bombarded with elemental energy.

And in an instant, the fury was gone. The battleground had loose sparks running along it before they all died away. Three of the dark dragons were collapsed on the ground, twitching and moaning as lightning danced wildly across their bodies.

 _That should be enough to take the fight out of them,_ Jules sighed. _Nearly took the fight out of myself by doing that._

And so it was down to just two: Jules, and the lone poison dragon. Both were panting from the stress of battle, their armor dented and stained. Jules could feel himself growing tired; he had little magical energy left to fight. But Jules's opponent was much worse for wear; he could barely stand up without collapsing back onto the ground with a twitch. The dragon's eyes were filled with desperation as he glanced around at his allies.

 _This battle is already over_ , Jules decided. He took a deep breath and straightened himself out.

"This doesn't have to end in any more violence." Jules said, taking a slow step forwards.

"What are you getting at?!" The dragon snarled, once again failing to get up.

"I mean you and your allies have been defeated." Jules motioned with a wing towards the others. "Lay down and surrender yourself, and you will not be harmed any further."

"Do you take me for a fool?" The dragon snarled, barely managing to stand up. "Light dragons never take prisoners."

Judging by the way the dark dragon was limping on his hind-paw, he was liable to collapse again. But he hobbled forwards anyway, wincing and snarling in pain with each step. Jules frowned and stepped out of the way as his "opponent" pathetically collapsed while trying to swipe at him. Jules couldn't help but feel pity for the young fool. The captain stepped forwards and placed a forepaw on his opponent's back. The young drake tried to wrestle free, but could only glare up in anger at Jules.

"You're in no condition to fight." Jules said, looking the dragon in the eyes. "You and your companions are in need of medical attention. As long as you surrender peacefully, you will all be provided the necessary care."

The dragon glanced over at his companions once again. His expression weakened, and he sighed in defeat.

"I give in." The dragon sighed. "As the only active member out of my squadron, I surrender."

"Very well." Jules backed up to let the dragon stand.

It was at this time when Voden finally arrived with at least half a dozen of the Commander's soldiers. The soldiers quickly scrambled to surround the dark dragons, their muzzles filled with snarls and crackling magic.

"My goodness, what happened?!" Voden exclaimed. "We heard and saw the fury!"

"What are dark dragons doing here?!" One of the fire dragons hissed.

"Hold your fire." Jules said to them. "These dragons have surrendered."

"What?!" The nearest soldier exclaimed. "Surely you can't be serious!"

"I speak the truth." Jules insisted. He pointed a talon at the young dark dragon. "I'd advise that you restrain this one and bring him to your Commander for questioning."

The soldiers exchanged glances. One of them shrugged and produced a series of chains and a magic-negating muzzle strap. Jules observed that the soldier almost gleefully locked the dark dragon in chains.

"What do we about the rest of them?" Another soldier asked as he looked into the eyes of one of the dark dragons. "Are they dead?"

Jules grimaced at the action, but said nothing. "Give them medical attention."

"We're supposed to just make them better?!" The soldier argued. "Why would we want to do that?!"

"Because there's a chance that some of these dragons might know something about the black king's plans." Jules said.

"But where are we supposed to put them?"

"Don't you have a brig on standby?!" Jules demanded. "Find a place to detain the prisoners. But again, none are to be physically harmed in any way as long as they're held captive."

"And why should we do what you say?" The soldier snapped. "You're not our commanding officer!"

"But he IS a Guardian." Another soldier said. "And a CAPTAIN at that. We would be wise to listen to him."

Jules nodded in satisfaction. He didn't expect to have to throw his rank around on this journey, but at least things weren't going south too fast. He watched as the downed dark dragons were picked up one by one and put into shackles. The earth dragons used their increased strength to carry the three prisoners on their backs. Jules followed them from behind, while Voden stepped to his side.

"My goodness, what a turn of events." Voden grimaced. "I hope you didn't wound the outskirts too badly with that lightning, captain."

"Aye." Jules snorted. He turned towards the poison dragon and stared. "Before we move on, I just have one question for you: What is your name, boy?"

The dark dragon glared back silently for a moment, but then sighed.

"Marcus." He said quietly. "My name is Marcus."

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

Once again, I have to say I'm sorry for being later. But at the very least, I still managed to post a chapter on the correct date. One possible idea would be to take some time to write a bunch of chapters in bulk... but to be honest, I just don't work that way. I'm always second-guessing myself on what scene goes where, and if I can fit everything into a decent chapter length or if I'll have to split it and add more scenes.

But hey, there's only one chapter left in Act 2, and then things go south. Will Rune find a deus ex machina to get himself back on track to reunite with his friends? What will the Guardians do now that Jules has captured dark dragon spies? Tune in next time to find out!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas._


	26. Act 2, Chapter 12

"I can't say I know many dragons with the wealth to pay for such trips so easily, Sir." The cheetah merchant said.

Wraith grimaced at bit. He wished that cheetahs weren't so curious about things. It was bad enough dealing with the harsh climate alone.

It was a miserably cloud day. Wraith and Lilith had brought Cyrus, Tina, and all of the light dragon younglings to a fishing village on the northern edge of the continent. It was the only village for miles around, and that meant it was the only place to find a ship to reach the Well of Souls in the north. But there was a bit of a problem; because the Well of Souls was surrounded by freezing cold and thick snow, few dragons or non-dragons would want to make the trip unless they really had to.

"You could call this a field trip of sorts." Wraith said. He reached into his satchel and produced several life gems to place before the cheetah's counter. "My family wants to venture into the northern waters to catch some fish of our own."

"And what a family you have, Mr. Vaven." The cheetah said as he scooped up the gems. "You have a very lovely wife, and..." The merchant leaned over to look past Wraith and at the gathering of dragons in the town square. "And quite the interesting assortment of children."

Standing in the middle of town square, across from the merchant's tent, was Lilith and the six younglings. The female Deep Shadow was doing her best to keep the peace as the children took in the sparse sights of the village. The four dark dragons had all disguised themselves as ice dragons. The plan was to pretend to be a family of nobles on a tour of the dragon realms; they had even packed several changes of fancy cloaks and stockings for good measure. The light dragon younglings were their "adopted" children (though Nellie was easily claimable as their own). In a short span of time, all of the younglings were making quite a scene.

Cyrus was nearly running circles around Lilith's paws. Tina was running with him on the other side. The pair appeared to be chasing each other, with poor Lilith struggling to keep track of them.

"It's almost time!" Cyrus exclaimed. "We're just under an hour away from heading out to see!"

"Yeah, we've been at this for quite a while!" Tine shouted. "I can't wait to finish this adventure!"

"Both of you, calm down." Lilith groaned. She stuck a wing out to block Cyrus's path, only for the prince to dash around her.

"Wow, look at all those boats!" Blankridge exclaimed. He ran up to a guardrail at the edge of a cliff to the north, which overlooked the port. "They're so much bigger than they were down south!"

"Blank, shush." Roxanne whispered to him from the side. "Don't give anything away.

"I can't help it if I see something cool." Blankridge wagged his tail as he stepped down. "I just with you-know-who was here to see this."

"Well he isn't." Roxanne said with a pout. "Don't draw too much attention, Blank."

"Sorry, Rox." Blankridge frowned. Roxanne gave him an irritated look, but then turned away. Blankridge sighed and resumed looking out at the port.

Wraith and the merchant had witnessed the whole spectacle. When Wraith looked back, the cheetah seemed rather put off.

"I'd kindly ask that your wife keep a tighter leash on your children." The merchant said with a grunt. "I can't have them disrupting any of the villagers or sailors, sir."

"Don't pay my, uh, darlings any mind." Wraith said as he tugged at his collar. "They're all just very excited to finally catch some fish on their own, rather than having it imported."

"Imported, eh?" The cheetah raised an eye brow. "Where did you say you came from again?

"Err,, Faeshrine." Wraith stammered. "We were vacationing in Warfang for a while. We left a few days ago, just before tragedy struck the city."

"Ah, we received word of that a little while ago." The merchant grimaced. "Hopefully those dark dragons won't want to come storming up HERE. There aren't any dragons living in Xinni, that I know of anyway."

"Good to know, sir." Wraith nodded. "Now, may I have the certificate please?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, of course." The merchant chuckled. He reached behind his counter and pulled out several scrolls. "All you have to do is sign this form, and you'll have ownership of the S.S. Elora for two weeks."

"That will be more than enough time, but thank you." Wraith picked up the quill pen from the ink bottle to the side and signed in his "full name". What the merchant didn't know didn't hurt him. "There you go, sir."

"Ah, thank you, thank you!" The merchant happily picked up the scroll and passed the signed certificate across the table. "The Elora is the fifth vessel from the right. I hope your family enjoys the trip!"

"Oh, we intend to." Wraith chuckled. He put the certificate in his satchel and turned around with a wave goodbye. Once he was far enough away, the drake swallowed an enormous gulp of air. He had been on edge since he woke up in the morning. He wasn't sure how much longer he could perpetrate his lies. But he had to do it, for the greater goal of reviving the late queen. So, taking a deep breath, Wraith approached his "family" with the news.

Lilith turned to look at him. Despite her smile, her eyes revealed how tired she'd become from watching the younglings all day.

"So what's the word, 'husband'?" She asked with a light chuckle.

"Ha ha ha..." Wraith muttered and rolled his eyes. He sat down on his haunches and stretched out his back. "Well, we've got access to a boat. They expect it back within two weeks' time."

"That should be more than enough time to complete our goal." Lilith nodded. "We might even have time to actually go fishing."

"I'd rather not take any chances, Lilith." Wraith grimaced. "We need to head north as soon as possible."

Lilith sighed and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I was just joking."

"You can joke once we're sailing on the boat." Wraith picked up one of the satchels laying on the ground by the children. "Come on, let's gather up our 'darlings' and head to the port."

"Well, if you insist..." Lilith stood up on all fours and cleared her throat. "Come together, children! We're leaving for the boat!"

All six of the younglings stopped what they were doing and walked up to Lilith. Luckily they fully understood the need to keep up the appearances of obedient noble children. Even the rambunctious Blankridge managed to rein in his energy to obediently follow behind Lilith. Wraith took a sigh of relief and made his march towards the docks.

The S.S. Elora wasn't the most glamorous of vessels: It was just large enough to carry four fully-grown dragons. So finding space for six younglings wouldn't be too difficult; it just meant that the younglings would have to share the beds, two a piece. After Wraith showed the certificate to the dock workers, they handed over the metaphorical reins and allowed the "family" to make the march onto the deck.

"Alright, 'my darlings', don't make too much fuss." Lilith said to the children. Wraith could tell from her snickers and smiles that she was having a bit too much fun with her assumed role. "I want each of you to find a space in the sleeping quarters. Don't dawdle now!"

"Okay, Mom!" Tina said cheerfully before skipping down to below-deck.

"Uh... yeah, what she said." Cyrus said with a flush of embarrassment. The four just went below-deck without a word. That suited Wraith just fine; he was finding it increasingly difficult to talk to them lately.

Wraith and Lilith spent half an hour preparing the S.S. Elora for her voyage. They had to enlist the temporary aid of one of the cheetahs to make use of his more opposable thumbs to untie some particularly stubborn rope knots. While that was being sorted out, the six younglings chatted amongst themselves in the sleeping quarters.

"I can't believe we have to travel by sea again." Emerald grimaced. She sat down on a bed and put a forepaw over her stomach. "I think I'm sick already."

"The trip won't be as long this time, Emmy." Nellie said as she sat down beside her. "From what I've read, the sea surrounding the northern islands isn't nearly as big as the central ocean."

"But we're still travelling by sea, and that's terrible." The green dragoness grimaced.

"You're not going to throw up allover the floor, are you?" Cyrus scooted away from her.

"I would NOT!" Emerald pouted. "Ladies don't throw up on floors!"

"It'd be pretty neat to see, though." Tina snickered.

"Excuse me?" Emerald raised an eye ridge, while Tina fluttered her wings and hopped onto one of the beds.

"Don't mind her." Cyrus said with a shrug. "Tina's never really been into girly-girl things."

"What are you into, Tina?" Roxanne asked. "We haven't had a lot of time to talk yet."

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that..." Tina spat a loogie out one of the open portholes. "Rough-housing, mostly."

"Ick!" Emerald ran to the opposite end of the sleeping quarters. "Now I'm REALLY gonna be sick!"

"Wuss." Tina stuck her tongue out at her.

Blankridge scooted quietly away and hopped up onto one of the beds. "Is Tina always like that?"

"Yep." Cyrus shrugged again. "But's she's been my best friend for years, now."

A few minutes later, Wraith and Lilith descended the staircase. The dragoness was carrying a bucket with a bit of saltwater in it. She put it down at Emerald's feet.

"This is for you, dear, in case you get sick." Lilith patted her back with a wing. "And I recommend you sleep near the porthole so you can get some fresh air."

"Thank you, ma'am." Emerald nodded and accepted the bucket.

"Alright, listen up." Wraith said to the younglings. "You six need to be wide awake tomorrow morning when we arrive at the frozen mountains surrounding the Well of Souls. Therefore, you all need to go to bed early tonight."

"Oh, come on, Wraith!" Cyrus exclaimed. "None of us are hatchlings! What's with the curfew all of a sudden?"

"We can't have any of you dozing off when we have to travel through the icy mountains." Wraith shook his head.

"Yeah, but..." Cyrus flinched back when Wraith glared at him. Lilith noticed the prince's uneasiness, so she patted her partner on the back.

"Wraith, let me talk to them." She said. "You need to get this clunker moving."

"Alright, alright." Wraith grunted. He turned around and walked back upstairs. Once he was gone, Lilith sighed and looked down at the six younglings.

"The Well of Souls is surrounded by icy mountains for miles around." She said. "You're all going to need your full strength and energy to make the trek. We're likely to spend the entire day traversing the thick snow, with little time to stop and eat. Using our convexity to teleport is out of the question, because we won't have wide enough spaces until we're within walking distance of the Well anyway. So please, children, get some rest. The time we have to bring back Lady Elenar can be measured in mere days."

All of the children exchanged uneasy glances.

"Well... it's for my mom..." Cyrus sighed and got into bed. Blankridge shrugged and scooted out of the way to give him plenty of room.

"Goodnight, little ones." Lilith said as she dimmed the lanterns.

"Goodnight!" They all said in unison. It put such a smile on her face as she walked back onto the deck.

And so, Wraith and Lilith were soon the only ones awake. Wraith had taken the S.S. Elora out of the docks, and steered it towards the north.

"Well, here we are." Wraith said, a wing outstretched. "The final leg of our journey. We're just a day's worth of sailing away from the Well of Souls."

"We'll finally be able to bring back Queen Elenar." Lilith added. "After all the tales I've heard about her, it will be incredible to finally meet her in person."

"Yeah..." Wraith nodded.

Wraith and Lilith stood in silence as the S.S. Elora drifted off across the waters. As the fishing village vanished into the horizon, Wraith became increasingly uneasy.

"Say, Lilith..." He said quietly.

"Yes, Wraith?" She asked. "What is it?"

"Is what we're doing the right thing?" He looked up to her with uncertain eyes.

"Hey, it's not like we're stealing the boat." Lilith snickered. "We paid for the rental fair and square, and we'll give it back fair and square when we're done."

"Lilith, I'm being serious." Wraith clasped his talons together. "Do you think we're doing the right thing by bringing these children with us to the Well of Souls?"

Lilith was taken aback by the question. Wraith waited in silence for an answer, his stomach beginning to ache.

"Wraith..." Lilith brought her voice to a whisper. "Don't you think it's rather late to be asking that?"

"I know that." Wraith sneered. He turned to look out at sea, grasping the guardrail tightly. "I made the conscious decision to help the prince with his plan, thinking we'd be able to hire some mercenaries or something. But I didn't expect us all to go on a wild goose chase, only to wind up with four random children. I know that we've grown rather desperate to get a chance at reviving the late queen, but..."

"Are you having doubts?" Lilith frowned. "Do you think we should turn back?"

"Part of me feels that I should." Wraith sighed. "Even if those four want to help Prince Rune, they're putting their lives in danger. And even if they came along willingly, I still feel like I've kidnapped them. The right thing for me to do would be to get those children back home to Glenhaven.

"And yet if I do THAT, then there'd be no chance of reviving Elenar before the Eternal Night arrives." Wraith swung around, his body shaking. "Then it would be too late to stop the king's massacre."

"Uh, Wraith...?" Lilith stepped back with a grimace. "I think you need to take a breath-"

"There's no time for that, Lilith!" Wraith exclaimed. He started jittering in place, his face turning a light shade of green. "These children are endangering themselves by going on this trip! But we NEED them to bring back Elenar to stop the king! But bringing them home is the smart thing to do! But reviving Elenar's the RIGHT thing to do!" Wraith's shaking grew uncontrollable. "I'm losing my mind, Lilith! I think I'm gonna... I'm gonna...!"

The drake grasped the railing and bent his head low. Lilith looked away so she didn't see anything gruesome, but she could still HER the coughing and puking. The sound of splashes in the water were enough to spark her imagination, and a shiver ran up her spine.

When it sounded like the flow died down, Lilith turned back around. "Feeling any better?"

"Relatively speaking..." Wraith coughed as he stood upright again. "I'd rather I didn't get a reminder of what I had for dinner..."

"Do you want to lay down for the night?" Lilith asked, draping a wing over Wraith's back. "I could handle the steering for the vessel in your stead."

"Thanks for the offer, but I've been sleeping all day." Wraith rubbed his stomach with a forepaw. "And that's besides the point: I still fear that I'm going to suffer great consequences for what I've done."

"What _we've_ done." Lilith insisted. "I'm as much a part of this mission as you are."

"Of course you are." Wraith said as he sat down. "I wasn't trying to imply anything."

"Wraith, I'm as guilty as you are of putting those children at risk." Lilith said solemnly. "But on my honor as a Deep Shadow, I won't let any physical harm come to them. I am more than capable of protecting the children. And you are no slouch either, when it comes to magical talent."

"I... I suppose you're right." Wraith looked up at her. "But I can't guarantee that NOTHING will happen to them."

"Of course not. And even IF something bad happens, and you feel the need to take responsibility, then I'll stand by your side, taking half the blame and half the consequences." Lilith turned towards the night sky and took a deep breath. "Light or Dark dragon, we are partners in this endeavor. We are a team."

Once Wraith's stomach finally settled, he stood up and smiled. "Thank you, Lilith. You always know what to say."

"A mom's gotta learn how to give good advice." Lilith winked at him.

And the two looked out at the dark ocean, the Twin Moons illuminating their voyage. The Well of Souls was waiting for them on the other side of the ocean, and who knows what else...

~~...~~

Rune and Elza rode along in the carriage, while Albanion and Aegis stayed in the driver's seat. At some point during the ride, the foursome put on shrouds of darkness, so they could masquerade as a family of earth dragons, just in case they ran into someone... unfriendly.

Rune couldn't' help but look out his small window to pass the time. He could scarcely believe his eyes. The night over the outskirts was completely dark, and the storms had spread out for miles across the south from Warfang.

 _It's literally a dark and stormy night,_ Rune snickered. _Just like in one of my old story-books in Glenhaven._

Just saying the city's name to himself made Rune both nostalgic and worried at the same time. While Rune would love to see his foster parents again, it just didn't feel right to head back without his friends. How could he ever explain to Hontus or Seraph why he returned home alone? He still wasn't even sure on their exact feelings for him now that he was revealed to be a black dragon. It would only make things worse for Blankridge, Nellie, Emerald and Roxanne to still be missing.

"I'm growing so tired of this wretched storm." Albanion sneered. Rune was able to hear him and Aegis through a small opening in the front wall before the driver's seat.

"I know what you mean." Aegis said between sneezes. "How has the black king managed to keep the storm going for so long?"

"It's a communal effort amongst most of the wind dragons." Albanion shook his robes of rain. "And Convexity has it's many uses, too."

"I suppose I know what you mean..." Aegis snorted again. "Did you happen to replenish our supply of convexity crystals?"

"Of course." Albanion said. "Once we're beyond this cursed storm, we'll find a spot in the mountains to make our way back to Ninn. That's just one part among many, though."

Rune sat back on his haunches and thought about Convexity. It had such a strange effect on him when he last came into contact with it. Rune didn't want to ever have to touch it again. But then he got an idea.

 _I've just learned how to use shadow magic._ Rune scratched his chin. _If I can get my talons on one of their convexity crystals, maybe I can use it to teleport my way back north. Then I can get back on my journey to the Well of Souls!_ This seemed like a great idea at first. But the more Rune thought about it, the worse his stomach felt. _Uncle Albanion and Aunt Elza care so much about me. Can I really go behind their backs by swiping a crystal from them and running away?_ Rune's thoughts of the convexity made him shiver. _I'm not even sure I know how to augment my magic with Convexity. I've never done it before... at least, I don't think I have._

Rune looked back over at the sleeping Elza. Seeing her rest so peacefully remind Rune that he was disturbed from that nap he took. Come to think of it, he was feeling a little light-headed. And now his eyes were suddenly heavy.

 _Maybe I should just save the planning for later and just get a nap in..._ Rune felt a yawn escape his maw. He reached down into his satchel and groggily pulled out his dreamstone. It was almost completely black now. He still hadn't had time to ask the Deep Shadows if they knew how to clear it out. But he supposed that would have to wait until tomorrow morning. He set the dreamstone down on, curled up in a ball on the seat, and rested his head to drift off to sleep...

Only for the carriage to hit a bump in the rode and toss him to forwards. He landed with a grunt and a thud on the carriage floor.

 _Darn it... Rune sneered._ He pulled himself up and shook his head. _Just my luck._

Suddenly, Rune heard Aegis speak to Albanion. "Hey, do you see what I see?"

"What is it, Aegis?" Albanion demanded. "I'm trying to concentrate."

What's going on with them? Rune looked towards the front of the carriage with a curious ear. He crept on up to the side and stuck an ear frill in their direction.

"Look over there, across those hills!" Aegis declared. "I think I can see a fire of some kind."

"A fire? In THIS storm?" Albanion remarked with a snort. "It would have to be a magical flame."

"Do you want to stop to investigate? It doesn't seem to be far off from the path we're taking."

"Very well. Steer us towards it."

 _Who could be out in this storm at this time of night?_ Rune wondered. He felt the carriage shifting towards the left before slowing down considerably. The youngling shifted around to wait for the carriage to stop completely. _Maybe I should pretend I was asleep..._

"By the Ancestors!" Aegis exclaimed. "I'm sensing a Shroud."

"A shroud?" Albanion asked, his voice audibly sharper. "Be on your guard."

 _Someone's wearing a Shroud of Darkness up there?_ Rune tilted his head curiously.

After a few more shakes and rattles, the carriage finally came to a complete stop. Rune curled up in a ball and covered his face with a wing, feigning a few snores. Elza murmured in her sleep as Albanion stepped down from his seat and opened the side door.

"Rune, Elza." The Deep Shadow said as he stepped inside. He grasped each of them and shook them. "Get up."

"...Zzzhmm?" Elza grunted. She lifted her head up and rubbed her eyes. "Albanion?"

"What's going on?" Rune asked. He pretended to give a big wide yawn. "Are we at the south already?"

"Not quite." Albanion motioned towards a nearby hill.

Rune and Elza slowly stepped out of the carriage. Rune looked around, seeing nothing but rain over the ever-expanding outskirts. But after taking a few steps, Rune picked up the scent of smoke and cooking meat.

 _Hey, that smells familiar..._ Rune felt his stomach rumble. He turned to follow the scent, which led him to a campfire burning atop an adjacent hill.

"Who is that?" Elza asked curiously.

"We don't know." Albanion shook his head. "We've stopped so we can investigate. I woke the both of you up on the chance that things take a turn for the worse."

Aegis hobbled down from the driver's seat and slowly made the climb up the hill. His strong build managed to make up for his missing foot. But he didn't look to pleased either way.

"Are you sure I can't just wait by the carriage?" He asked irritably. "This will take much too long."

"Couldn't you just fl-?" Rune stopped himself. He didn't forget about Aegis's missing wing; he meant to refer to that time he levitated back in Glenhaven. The look that Aegis gave him sent a shiver up Rune's spine. "That's not what I... I mean, can't you, uh, levitate with your magic?"

"You may be thinking about my GLIDING, my prince." Aegis said with a snort. "It works much better when I'm levitating _downwards_."

"Sorry..." Rune frowned and looked away. Elza shot Aegis a nasty look, who grimaced and looked away.

"Uh, don't be." Aegis bit his lower lip. "I apologize, my prince, I haven't had any sleep in hours. I'm just... grouchy, yes."

"Enough dawdle; we must ascend the hill." Albanion said. He spread his wings and took off for the tip of the hill. Elza and Rune quickly followed after him through the air as Aegis continued his climb.

Rune wasn't sure what to expect at the top of the hill. He certainly couldn't have imagined seeing an old, silver-hided dragon sitting by the fire. The old drake was cooking some fish on a pan, while humming a melody to himself. As Rune and the two Deep Shadows came to a landing, the old dragon lifted his head and smiled.

"Well, good evening." The old dragon said. "It's always nice to have visitors." The dragon lifted up his pan. "Care for some salmon?"

"Uh, I'd like some." Rune said with a raised wing.

"Oh, I know _you_ would." The old dragon chuckled when he looked at Rune. The youngling flinched back at the odd smile. Albanion seemed to sense Rune's discomfort, as he stepped in front of him.

"Would you mind telling us who you are?" Albanion asked the old drake.

"I'm no one of consequence." The old dragon smiled. "Just an aging dragon waiting for the right company."

Albanion glared into the old dragon's eyes and brought his voice to a whisper. "Who are you... REALLY? Beneath that shroud of yours?"

The old dragon's smile faded into something akin to sorrow. He looked around at the Deep Shadows, and then down at Rune.

"It's not time to reveal who I am yet." He said. "However, I can still give you all advice on where to take the prince."

Albanion and Elza gasped. They immediately shielded Rune with their wings, snarls on their faces. Rune stepped back a bit, feeling quite nervous.

"Please, listen to me." The old dragon said. "I understand wanting to take the prince to safety. And in any other circumstance, I'd advise you to stay away from the Aeroshard camp. But it just so happens that the boy's foster parents are in that very camp."

Rune's face lit up. Hontus and Seraph were in the camp?

"What?!" Albanion exclaimed. "How would you know about that?"

"Because I met them some time ago." The drake shook his head enthusiastically. "They are with a group of Glenhaven Guardians, who left on a quest to retrieve the missing children. They're names are Hontus and Seraph, right little one?"

"Y... Yes, he's right." Rune's wings fluttered. "You mean they're really over there?"

"How do we know you're telling the truth, old man?" Elza demanded. She pulled Rune close to her with a wing.

The old dragon smirked about something, but then the smile faded. He stood upright to look Elza straight in the eyes.

"By the honor of Lady Cynder, I would give my own life if it would save Prince Rune." He said loud and clear. "And I speak the absolute TRUTH when I say that Guardians Hontus and Seraph are waiting in that battalion."

Elza stepped back in surprise. She glanced at Albanion, who scratched at his chin. The air was silent and still for a short time. It was eventually broken by the sounds of Aegis grunting as he finally made it to the top of the hill.

"My goodness, what a workout..." Aegis panted as he sat down on the hill.

"Aegis, there's been a change of plans." Albanion said to his companion. "We're heading east, into Commander Saul's camp."

"WHAT?!" Aegis shouted. "I just got my crippled rear up here! And we're already LEAVING?!"

"My apologies, my friend." Albanion frowned. "But it seems we've just discovered the whereabouts of the prince's foster parents. Once we give Rune back to them, we can work on a plan to get them all as far from Warfang as possible."

"You can take some time to gather your breath, sir." The old dragon said. "Do you like salmon?"

Aegis ignored the old dragon. He just turned around and levitated himself down to the carriage with a series of grumbles.

"So, we're to take a detour, then." Elza sighed.

"Might I accompany you?" The old dragon asked. "As much as I'm used to living on the land by myself, I could always use the company of other dragons."

Albanion and Elza looked back skeptically at the drake. Rune felt rather dubious around him as well.

"And how exactly would we benefit from a stranger's company?" Albanion demanded.

"Hontus and Seraph know who I am." The old drake nodded. "I can vouch for you when you try to present Rune to them."

Elza's glare weakened. "Well, I suppose that could help prevent a misunderstanding."

"There's one other thing you should know." The old dragon said. "Saul has become increasingly paranoid over time. Your Shrouds of Darkness won't be enough to fool his soldiers. They'll expect you to perform light dragon magic."

Albanion stood silent, seemingly pondering the new information. Rune bit his lower lip as he scratched his mane with a wing-thumb.

"Uncle, I could use my own magic to pretend we're all earth dragons." Rune said.

"That... won't be necessary, my prince." The Deep Shadow said with a sigh. "We can have Aegis perform the earth magic for us adults. You just focus on your own disguise. Understand?"

"Yes, Uncle." Rune nodded. Though he wasn't entirely convinced.

"Well, before we go," The old dragon smiled, "Would you help an aging dragon pack his belongings?"

Albanion sighed. He forwards and began organizing the few items the drake had with him. "As you wish, elder one."

"You and your companions can call me... Old Man." The old drake chuckled.

Elza patted Rune on the back. "Come on, my prince. Let's get back to the carriage."

"Alright." He shook his head yes.

While Albanion helped the old dragon pack up, Elza and Rune gliding down the hill towards the carriage. Along the way, Rune's eyes felt a tad... heavy. A tiny yawn emerged from his maw.

 _I think I'm getting drowsy._

~~...~~

It wasn't a long carriage ride to Saul's camp. From what Rune could see through his window. the entire campground seemed to glow with an aura of light. Elza sat on his side again, while the old dragon sat on the opposite side. The old drake would occasionally glance down at Rune, a smile tugging at his muzzle. But whenever Elza looked up, the drake would quickly look away.

 _Who is this dragon, and why does he keep looking at me like that?_ Rune shivered. _He's giving me the creeps._

The carriage slowed down as it approached the entrance to the camp. Rune saw a pair of guards approach the front of the carriage. Both were dressed in silver armor.

"Halt!" The Guard on the left shouted. "Who dares approach Commander Saul's battalion at this time of night?! Everyone out of the carriage!"

Rune, Elza and the old dragon stood up and stepped out of the carriage while Albanion and Aegis stayed in the driver's seat.

"Pardon our intrusion." Albanion said. "We're travelers from the west. My family and I wanted to stop somewhere less exposed than the outskirts."

"Uh-huh, sure you are..." The guard on the right sneered. He looked around at the group, though he stopped to pay special attention to Rune and the elder drake. "Let's see some earth magic, Mr. Green. The old drake goes first."

"Surely you wouldn't accost a bumbling old lizard like me." The silver drake frowned. "Why would you suspect someone like me to be a threat?"

The guard exchanged glances. They were silent for a while as they tried to stab through the old drake with their eyes. One of them eventually snorted as he looked back at his partner.

"I'd say he's got a point." He smirked. "Considering the state he's in, it'd be a miracle if the old bastard could use magic at all!"

Rune sneered. He'd never heard anyone speaking about an elder dragon in such a way, especially not right in front of one. Didn't any of these guards have manners?

"While the old fart may be excused, that doesn't give the rest of you a free pass." The guard glared at each of the other four dragons. "Let's see some earth magic! And make it snappy!"

Aegis was the first to comply. He summoned a series of earth spires around his bulky body with barely a glow from his maw. The guards briefly nodded in satisfaction, but then glared at Albanion and Elza. They opened their muzzles and began creating magical auras.

Rune held his breath as he concentrated. He could feel the energy tugging at the back of his mind. _Earth spires, earth spires, earth spires..._

Suddenly, a great number of stone pillars burst outwards around the five dragons. The guards jumped back in surprise at how quickly the magic tore through the dirt.

"W-What?!" The first guard shouted.

"There you have it." Albanion said, quickly dispersing his aura. "We're clearly earth dragons.

The guards exchanged dubious glances. They stepped out of the way of the carriage with uneasy faces.

"Very well then." The second guard said. "Your family may spend the night in the camp. But don't cause any trouble for the Commander!"

"We'll try not to." Aegis smirked.

Rune and Elza returned to their seats in the carriage. He felt a little light-headed, but thought nothing of it. When the old dragons stepped into the carriage, he was panting and holding a forepaw over his chest. He closed the carriage door and sat down across from them.

"Are you alright, sir?" Elza asked.

"I'll be fine..." The drake said with a snort. He leaned back in his seat and tried to catch his breath.

 _What's happened to him?_ Rune wondered.

The carriage went down a row of tents until it came to a stop at the other end. Albanion and Aegis stepped down and walked off, presumably to ask to borrow a tent. Rune followed Elza out of the carriage, while the old dragon stepped out behind them. Rune rubbed his eyes and shook drowsiness from his head as he hung his satchel over his neck.

It wasn't long before the five dragons were standing in one of the smaller tents at the corner of the camp. Old Man sat down in the corner, still panting.

"So what shall we do first?" Aegis asked as he stretched out his back. "Do we search for the boy's foster parents?"

"They're somewhere nearby I'm sure of it." Old Man stamped his paw. But then he put his forepaw over his chest and coughed. "I need to lay down for a while. I'm getting rather tired."

"If you say so, Old Man." Albanion folded his wings over his back.

"But don't we need him around for when we finally speak to the prince's foster parents?" Elza asked.

"He won't do us any good if he's asleep." Albanion shook his head. "But I'm not about to disturb an elder's rest."

"I thank you..." Old Man said. He rested upon a mattress and curled up in a ball. He draped a wing over his head, and his snores filled the air.

"Here's what we'll do while he naps..." Albanion began.

Rune wasn't able to pay attention to what the Deep Shadows were saying. He just sat down across from Old Man, his head growing increasingly dizzy and light. His vision felt like it was blurring.

The three Deep Shadows eventually stepped out of the tent, leaving Rune laying atop his mattress. Rune just couldn't keep his eyes open for much longer. Even the aged dragon's snores weren't enough to keep him awake. He reached into his satchel and produced his dreamstone. The surface was so dark that it now resembled a piece of coal more than a sapphire. But as Rune lifted it up to ponder its color, he felt like his entire body was being weighed down. Every piece of his armor felt so heavy all of a sudden. He took it all off and immediately crashed his head down on an overturned cloth sack.

 _I can't take it anymore_ , Rune thought as his head rested on the ground. _I... need... sleep..._

And so Rune slowly shut his eyes as he cupped his forepaws over the dreamstone. His drifted off into slumber once again...

And then the dreamstone shattered.

~~...~~

"How are you feeling, Miss Seraph?" Olivia asked.

"I'm doing very fine, thank you." Seraph nodded.

Seraph and her husband were sitting at the table in the large dining tent near the center of camp. The pair had spent the entire afternoon chatting with the various soldiers who followed Saul's commands. When she had the time, Seraph sat down to chat with Olivia about each other's lives in their home cities. It was refreshing to be able to sit down and relax. Seraph had been so stressed out since their journey began, with conflicts escalating wherever she went.

"I must say that the amulet you're wearing is luxurious." Olivia smiled.

"Hmm?" Seraph lifted a paw to her Amulet of Amouris. She had almost forgotten she was wearing it during this journey. She sighed and looked back up. "Thank you. It was a very recent purchase."

"Well, I hope you can give me the name of the jeweler." The green dragoness chuckled.

"It's hard to say." Seraph shrugged. "He was a very elusive dragon. And he up and closed shop as soon as I turned my back."

"What do you mean?" Olivia turned her head curiously.

"Well, the shop owner had a strange magic about him. In the time it took me to turn my head, he somehow packed up all of his wares in his carriage and rode off with his daughter. I think I saw some kind of flash, but it was very bright and fuzzy."

"Bright and fuzzy? You're not talking about me now are you?" Hontus asked from behind. Seraph looked up to see Hontus, Saul and Jonathan walking up to the table. The Commander sat down at the head of the table, while his son sat across from Olivia. Hontus sat beside his mate and draped a wing over her back.

"Of course I didn't mean you, love." Seraph smiled. "Although that doesn't change the fact that you need to trim that beard of yours sometime soon."

"I'll keep that in mind." Hontus chuckled.

"The meal will start once Captain Jules and Sir Voden join us." Saul declared.

"Commander!" A guard called from the front of the tent. "Guardians Jules and Voden are approaching!"

"Ah, that was sooner than I thought." Saul smirked.

"Commander, they've brought... a dark dragon!" The guard continued.

"What?!"

The entire tent was abuzz with speculation in an instant. Hontus and Seraph exchanged concerned glances. Sure enough, Jules and Voden soon stepped through the tent flap. They were accompanied by several soldiers, who carried around a dark dragon wrapped in chains.

~~...~~

"I apologize for interrupting the meal, Saul." Jules said. "But you may be interested in what just happened a short while ago."

"What is the meaning of this?" Saul demanded. He glared at Jules. "Where did this... _thing_ come from?"

Jules heard the dragon named Marcus snarl at the Commander through his muzzle. The captain wasn't exactly pleased to hear such word usage, but he chose to ignore.

"This, Commander, is one of several assailants who attacked me just outside of the camp" Jules said. "They were defeated, and have surrendered."

"Why would you bring a dark dragon to the dining camp?!" Saul shouted as he slammed his forepaw on the table.

Jules raised an eye ridge. "While this may not have been a good time, I believed it was vital that you learned of the usefulness this prisoner might provide. It's my opinion that-"

"Get the dark dragon out of here!" Saul shouted.

"Would you kindly keep a level head for one moment?" The captain asked irritably. "I'm trying to explain that this dragon may have vital information on what the black king is planning."

The Commander was about to shout something, but then stopped himself. He glanced between Jules and the captured dragon, before finally settling with a glare on the prisoner.

"Once the meal is finished, THEN I'll consider questioning this insurgent." Saul spat. "Take him away, before I lose my appetite."

Jules glared. He opened his maw to reply to the Commander... only to be cut off by an ear-curdling scream.

All of the dragons all gasped and looked about in surprise. Jonathan gave a yelp and quickly grabbed Saul's foreleg.

"What in the realms is THAT?!" Saul exclaimed as he patted his son on the back for comfort.

"It sounded like... like a child!" Jules said, his eyes wide.

"A youngling?" Seraph repeated in a shock. She looked towards Hontus, who was just as worried as her. Immediately the two spun around and fled out of the tent. Jules and Voden watched them with concern.

"I need to go with them." Jules declared. "We need to investigate."

"Fine..." Saul sneered at the Captain. "But don't you dare think this discussion is over."

Jules signaled at Voden, and the pair left the tent to follow the others. Hontus and Seraph had slowed their sprinting as they neared the source of the screams.

"This way!" Hontus shouted. "It's just around the corner there!"

The foursome rounded the corner, dashing by the surprised dragons around them. None of the Guardians could have prepared for what they were about to see:

A youngling dragon pinned to the ground, and surrounded by three dark dragons.

~~...~~

 _A few minutes earlier..._

Rune twitched and mewled, unable to find solace in his dreams.

He found himself running through the streets of a dark city. The sky was alight with green flames and thick smoke. All of the buildings were either burning down, or completely destroyed already.

 _What is this place...?_ Rune wondered. _What's going on?_

His mind wanted to stop, but his body wouldn't obey him. The young cub ran past the many bodies of fallen dragons. His ear frills rang with the screams of countless others. Rune's mind was filled with a terrible foreboding as his younger self ran into the halls of a large palace. The older Rune could only watch as his body made its way into a large throne room.

The large room was mostly empty, save for a large carpet and several pillars. The throne itself resembled a golden blur to Rune's eyes. Sitting on the throne was King Urobos, and his mother Elenar stood beside him. The pair were arguing over something Rune couldn't hear.

"Grandpa! Momma!" Rune's younger voice cried out. Rune wasn't used to hearing his own voice speak of its own volition. The two adult dragons were shocked to see the youngling running up to them.

 _They look almost the same as in my last dream..._

"Rune?!" Elenar exclaimed. "What are you doing here?! Why aren't you with your father?!"

"I came to find you." The youngling answered with a frown. "Why haven't you gone with Daddy and the others?"

"Rune, you shouldn't have come back here!" Urobos was exasperated. "It's not safe here!"

"I... I'm sorry." The younger Rune sniffled. "I just couldn't leave without you."

"Rune..." Elenar started to say something tenderly. She reached out to wrap a wing about his back...

But then the throne room's doors were forced open. Out of the smoke came a squadron of dragons in golden armor. Nearly every inch of their hides shined like starts, even in the dim light of the throne room. Their faces were blurred out, save for fiery red eyes filled with hatred.

 _They're with the Order..._ Rune realized. _So they DID attack The Hive!_

One of them shouted in a decidedly distorted voice. "The black king is in here!"

Urobos and Elenar gasped in horror. Rune heard his younger self squeal in fear. Once again Rune tried to force himself to flee, but his tiny paws were rooted to the floor. But luckily Urobos got the idea to grab Rune by the scruff and pass him to Elenar.

"Rune, Elenar!" Urobos shouted. "Get Rune out of here!"

"But Urobos-!" Elenar started.

"GO!" The old king practically pushed the dragoness towards the back doors.

Without another word, Elenar grasped Rune tenderly in her jaws and fled out the doors. Rune looked back just in time to see Urobos leap from his throne and attack the soldiers of the Order. As soon as Rune looked away, a great explosion of fire magic erupted in the throne room. Rune could hear Elenar's heart racing as she fled through the smoldering corridors of the palace.

 _That must be when Grandfather..._ Rune stopped himself, unwilling to comprehend Urobos's death.

Elenar and Rune soon emerged from one of the side-entrances of the palace and fled onto the streets. Rune's mother quickly flapped her wings and leaped forwards to take flight out of the city. But she wasn't in the for long, as one of the many soldiers on the streets spotted her. A jolt of lightning erupted from the ground, followed by a barrage from six other dragons. Elenar did her best to swerve around the attacks, but one soldier hit his mark along her wing. A hole was torn through her wing, and Elenar fell from the sky. Rune screamed as his mother wrapped her forelegs about him for protection.

Elenar hit the ground with a sickening _CRACK_.

 _By the Ancestors..._ Rune was forced to look upon the shattered remains of his mother's wings.

Despite all the pain on Elenar's face, she still rose up to her feet. She kept Rune tucked safely beneath her body, moving what remained of her wings to her flanks to completely shield him. Rune's mind was unable to see anything besides what was directly in front of his mother.

"Momma, I'm scared..." His younger self whimpered. His body wouldn't stop shaking.

"Stay calm, my darling." Elenar whispered to him. "Everything will be fine."

But Rune's mind could sense the fear hidden in his mother's voice. He could see the Order soldiers stepping closer, preparing to unleash all of their magic. Rune's body curled up in a ball and started closing his eyes.

 _No, wait!_ His mind called out. _I need to see what's going on!_

But alas, Rune's mind was blinded. All he could do was listen to his memories. The soldiers were stepping closer. The air around Rune's body was getting warmer. Was Elenar preparing her own magic.

"Momma?" Rune hear himself ask. "What's happening."

But his mother said nothing. She instead gave a low growl from her throat and dug her talons into something, presumably the ground. The air was growing every hotter.

"Richteriel sends his regards..." Someone said in a mocking voice. "Hail to the QUEEN!"

And then came the explosion.

Even with his eyes shut tight, Rune could see the everything glowing a bright purple. All of the soldiers screamed in agony. A strange sensation overcame Rune. He lost feeling in his body altogether. The world opened up beneath his paws and he plummeted for miles. The screams continued to echo in his ears.

Far up above, Rune watched as the whole dragon realms burned up in a fiery explosion. Everything that ever lived, that ever was... died in the endless void.

~~...~~

Albanion, Elza and Aegis were all caught off-guard by the painful screams coming from the prince.

"RUNE?!" Elza shrieked.

Her companions could barely keep up as she dashed through the rows of tents to where Rune was laying down. But just as she was about to tear open the tent flap, Rune came barreling out of the tent. The youngling's body was twitching wildly. The shadows that made up his shroud were dying away, making his scales fade between green and black wildly. Drips of blood and shards of sapphire fell from his clenched forepaw as he ran past the dragoness.

"Rune, stop!" Elza shouted as she chased him. With a dash of wind magic, the dragoness overcame the prince and grasped his body. She gently pinned him down as he writhed in agony. She opened her muzzle to ask something, only to gasp upon seeing his eyes.

"What's going on?" Albanion shouted. He came down by Rune, trying to assess the situation. Aegis landed just behind him, using his bulky body to shield Rune from view of any surrounding dragons.

"I don't know!" Elza exclaimed. "I think he shattered his dreamstone somehow. He's bleeding!"

"Pry his paw open." Albanion shouted as he reached into his satchel. "I'll try to clean the wound, while you calm him down.

With a concentrated effort, Elza managed to grasp hold of Rune's talons and forcibly open his fist. Various blue gem shards were stabbing into his paw, surrounded by a mixture of blood and black mist. Elza frowned with pity and nuzzled the top of Rune's head, trying desperately to calm him down.

Albanion reached for Rune's paw with a salve-cloth. He used two talons to pry the first gem shard he saw free... but as soon as he did that, a burst of black energy erupted from the wound. The energy twisted and turned in the air, colliding with each of the three Deep Shadows. They all stepped back in shock as a piercing pain struck each of them in the back of the head. As they reacted in pain, the color of their faces began to melt. Their green "scales" turned to a dark mist, which was then drained off their natural bodies and into the center of the erupting energy. The same happened to Rune as well, his screams finally dying down some. Rune and the Deep Shadows were now all exposed as what they really were.

"Oh no..." Elza looked down at herself in shock. "Oh no no no."

"What is this magic?" Albanion demanded, quickly pulling his hood over his head to hide his features. "Where did the Shrouds go?"

"I don't know, but I don't think we should stick around." Aegis said. He stuck a forepaw into his own satchel and pulled out a convexity crystal. "I think it's high time we left before-"

Aegis was struck from behind by a great blast of earth. He shouted in surprise and fell over, dropping the crystal in the process.

"Aegis?!" Elza exclaimed. "What happened?!"

As Elza ran to help Aegis get back onto his feet, Albanion turned towards the source of the attack and sneered. He stepped backwards, draping a wing over Rune to hide him as best as he could.

A group of light dragons had come to investigate the screams. And they bore the sigil of Glenhaven.

~~...~~

Although Rune had quieted down finally, he couldn't stop twitching. He could only lay on the ground in a panting fit as the two groups of dragons faced off.

"YOU!" Jules snarled, pointing a talon at Albanion. "You're that dark dragon from Glenhaven!"

Albanion winced and stepped back. The two recognized each other's eyes immediately. Jules stepped forwards towards the Deep Shadows, Hontus and Seraph on either side of him.

"Never in my wildest dreams would I expect to run into YOU in a place like THIS." Jules sneered. "What are you doing here, and who is that boy?"

Albanion bit his lip and cursed under his breath. He wanted to step forwards, but didn't want to expose Rune right away. The surrounding dragons only made matters worse, as they quickly called for the guards. Albanion turned his eyes back towards Jules and focused intently on him.

"You and your allies need to listen well." Albanion said. "There's a-"

"You all tried to take our son!" Seraph hissed. "He ran away because of you!"

"Listen to me!" Albanion snapped, nearly uncovering. "This is a major misunderstanding!"

"Don't talk to my wife like that!" Hontus growled. His scales were practically on edge.

"Release the youngling!" Jules snapped, stepping forwards. "Whose child is that?!"

Albanion took an uneasy breath. He looked back at Elza and Aegis, who now stood to the side behind him. Their faces were filled with concern as they glanced down at the crying youngling under Albanion's wing. The grey drake looked back at the Guardians, who were growing increasingly agitated. Albanion took a deep breath as he tried to formulate a plan.

"Alright, I'll reveal the boy." Albanion said. "Just understand, what's happened to him isn't our doing."

Albanion slowly stepped to the side and lifted his wing from Rune. All of the Guardians gasped as they saw the twitching, bleeding, and screaming youngling. Albanion grimaced as Hontus and Seraph were filled with an indescribable rage.

"What. Have. You. DONE?!" Hontus roared, his wings extended.

"I told you, we don't know what's happened to him?!" Albanion quickly shouted. "Listen, we made for this camp after an old dragon told is that-"

Hontus leaped forwards through the air, unleashing a torrent of flames from his maw. Albanion gasped in surprise, barely in time to shield himself with a wing. He tuck-and-rolled to the side as most of the flames came down upon him. When Albanion got back onto his paws, his robes were covered in flames. But they quickly died away, unable to burn through the magical fabric of his Deep Shadow robes.

Meanwhile, Seraph gave a mighty roar and stomped forwards. She made to swipe at Albanion, but Elza quickly ran forwards to shield him. Elza's flank took the brunt of Seraph's talons, her cloak just barely strong enough to withstand the swipes. Elza quickly dashed around the dragons to stand over Rune again. Her body shook as wind magic instinctively grew within her. Aegis took up the rear position, looking about as the Guardians stepped forwards.

Albanion and Elza stood their ground as they faced off against Jules, Hontus and Seraph. All of them began charging up their own magic.

"Stop attacking us, you fools!" Albanion snarled.

"GIVE US BACK OUR SON!" Hontus roared in rage.

" _Your_ Son?" Aegis asked in surprise. "My friends, I think these might be-"

"Not now, Aegis!" Albanion snapped. "These 'Guardians' don't feel like listening."

It was at this time that a dozen or so of Saul's soldiers arrived on the scene.

"The time for diplomacy has ended." Albanion snarled. He spread out his limbs and summoned forth his magic. "We'll batter them down until they're FORCED to listen!"

Saul's soldiers charged towards Albanion, their maws brimming with fire and earth magic. But before they could even get close, Albanion unleashed a mighty torrent of venomous blobs. Most of the dragons had to retreat to avoid taking direct damage, with only a few being struck on the armor as they swerved to the side. When they hit the ground, it rotted and burned away.

"It'll take more than that to scare us off!" Hontus snarled. He and Seraph stepped closer, their bodies brimming with magic.

The Guardians and the Deep Shadows charged forwards, magic exploding from their maws...

~~...~~

 _"WAKE UP!"_

The old dragon gasped, nearly falling over out of the mattress. He struggled to his feet, a forepaw over his chest. He scratched the back of his head with a wing-thumb and looked around.

"What is it?" He asked groggily to the air. "That was the first bit of genuine sleep I've had since-"

 _"RUNE NEEDS YOU!"_ The voice screamed.

Old Man's face was filled with horror. He looked around, seeing that Rune was nowhere to be found. Before he could question what had happened, he heard the familiar sounds of a struggle. The old dragon ran to the tent flap and pulled it open. The Deep Shadows were locked in a heated battle against the familiar visages of Hontus, Seraph and the other Guardians. And there in the center of the conflict lay a panicking Rune.

"No!" Old Man shouted.

~~...~~

Rune covered his eyes and his ears. All around him he heard the sounds of battle. Over and over magic exploded as the Guardians and Deep Shadows did battle.

 _Stop..._ Rune whimpered. _Please... no more fighting_...

Why? Why did his foster parents and his aunt and uncle have to come to such blows? Why couldn't they see that they were on the same side?

That was when the all-too-familiar voice finally returned.

 _ **See how they tear and claw at each other, Rune?**_ The Chronicler asked. _**See how they try to DESTROY one another?**_

 _I just..._ Rune sniffled. _I can't take it anymore. I've gotta get out of here..._

Then continue on with your quest, young dragon. Once you've brought your mother back, the fighting will FINALLY be put to an end. You can count on that.

Rune slowly picked his head up and looked around. How was he supposed to get away? He didn't have the strength to shadow-jump; the pain in his head was just too great. And even with everyone distracted by the fighting, Rune was in no condition to fly away, or even run...

And that was when his eyes fell upon the purple crystal on the ground. It was the convexity that Aegis dropped when he was attacked. It shimmered and shined with the same mysterious power he'd seen before.

 _ **Yes, that's it, young dragon**_. The Chronicler said with a laugh. _**Take hold of the Convexity, and travel to the Well of Souls.**_

The youngling slowly but surely crawled towards the convexity...

~~...~~

"Rune, STOP!" Old Man. The silver dragon galloped as fast as he could towards the commotion, his eyes never leaving the youngling. A pain sprang in his chest as he pushed himself harder than he ever had before. Curse the restraints of his aging body. Why did he have to sleep at such a crucial time? Why couldn't he have stayed awake to ensure Rune's safety?

Old Man pushed by several dragons as he reached out for Rune, who had clutched the convexity crystal to his chest. The youngling's body glowed completely with a thick purple aura.

The aging dragon gasped and he reached out for him. "RUNE!"

But it was too late. A fiery flash of purple light, Rune disappeared from view. Old man had shut his eyes just in time, but everyone else in the vicinity had to shield their eyes. A great wide panic began to spread out.

"What's happened?!" Elza screamed.

"RUNE!" Seraph howled.

Old Man opened his eyes when he felt the glow dying away. When he looked back down, dread filled his being. Rune was gone. All of Old Man's efforts to get him to safety had failed. The aged dragon dug his talons in, struggling not to lose all composure.

"Rune, where are you?!" Elza shouted as she looked all around. Seraph searched all around as well, though too frantic for words. Eventually the dragonesses locked eyes and snarled again.

"This is YOUR fault!" Seraph hissed. "Rune's gone again, because of YOU!"

"MY fault?!" Elza snarled. "You were the ones who attacked us and scared him off!"

The two dragonesses charged to attack each other once again. But then Old Man came stomping between them and stood his ground.

"SILENCE!" Old Man roared.

A shockwave of purple magic exploded from his body, knocking over everyone that was caught in its wake. The two dragoness were sent crashing to the ground. How had he moved so fast so suddenly?

The soldiers on the very edge of the blast had to struggle to stay standing. Even the dark clouds in the sky began to part. The old dragon held a forepaw to his chest again. He panted heavily as all of the dragons rose to stand once again.

"Damn it all..." Old Man muttered, his forelegs shaking. "How could you all dissolve into fighting? How could you let Rune run away again?"

"Again?" Hontus asked curiously.

The silver dragon turned to glare at the Guardians. "Your rush to judgment has given the youngling the opportunity to flee to the most dangerous place in the dragon realms! Now there's no telling what disasters could befall the Dragon Realms! You... He...!"

The old dragon stopped shouting as he felt a sharp pain over his heart. He fell back onto his haunches, taking quick and rasping breaths. As Old Man struggled to regain his composure, the Guardians and Deep Shadows stepped closer.

"I can't handle this alone anymore..." The aged dragon said lowly. He tilted his head up to the sky. "The time has come for you to get involved, Master."

"Who are you talking to?" Albanion demanded.

An answer came in the most unlikely of ways; A voice came seemingly from the skies. It spoke with a power that Neither the Guardians nor the Deep Shadows could have ever known.

 _"You've overworked yourself again, my friend."_ The voice said with an audible sigh. _"But I suppose you're right."_

"Who said that?" Seraph asked worriedly. She and her allies looked all around, but couldn't locate the source. Elza, meanwhile, turned her eyes towards Old Man.

"Tell us: Who are you?!" The wind dragoness exclaimed. "And who is that voice?!"

"I will show you the truth, but I won't do it alone." Old Man said.

The old dragon took a deep breath. He clasped his paws together, and a wave of magic flowed through him. The old dragon traced his talon in a circle around himself. Wherever the talon passed through, a glowing white aura was left in its wake. Once Old Man was finished, the circular light transformed from a circle, into an intricate series of glyphs and sigils upon the ground.

"This is the best I can do on short notice, Master." Old Man spoke aloud as he stepped out of the center of the glyphs. "You'll only be able to appear here briefly."

 _"It suits me just fine."_ The voice said. _"I won't be long."_

Before anyone could ask another question, the ground beneath the entire battalion began to shake. Dragons struggled to keep from falling over as a geyser of light erupted from the center of the glyphs. The geyser shifted to a shade of light purple, and a pair of golden eyes appeared for all to see. A ghostly body formed within the light in the shape of a dragon which stood taller even than Old Man. The dragon stepped forwards out of the light, but not beyond the boundary of the glyphs. His scales were a shimmering purple.

Meanwhile, Old Man sat back on his haunches and clasped his forepaws together. He created an orb of darkness between them. Dark mist was pulled off of his scales and into the orb. His scales became as black as midnight. Blue glyphs shaped like hourglasses shined prominently upon his forelegs.

Every dragon, light and dark, gasped upon seeing the two old dragons, bathed in light and shadow respectively.

"Wh-Who are you?" Seraph asked in awe.

"I am Urobos." The old black dragon said. "And this is my forefather, Lord Spyro."

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

Once again, a chapter took longer than I anticipated to write. But this time around it's because it went on for much longer than I initially anticipated. While writing, it just went on for so bloody long that I got fatigued halfway through. Rushing never helps, but just so desperately wanted to release the chapter on time.

The end result is one of the longest chapters I've written so far. And Act 2 is finally brought to a close. You'll be seeing an Interlude chapter next week, followed by the third and final Act.

What is The Chronicler planning? What does the return of Spyro mean for the dragon realms? Where has Rune gone? And where is Cynder? Find out Sunday, February the 5th!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	27. Interlude 2

_Seven years ago, deep within the heart of the Well of Souls..._

Prince Baneth came to a stop at the mouth of the enormous cavern. He was dressed in all sorts of furs to shield his body from the harsh snows that surrounded the ancient mountain. The caverns and corridors within the mountain were nearly pitch black, with only clusters of gems as any sort of guide. Baneth relied on his keen sight to lead the way deep down into the abyss beneath the mountain.

Baneth was only a year away from his thirtieth hatchday, the day he would be crowned the new king of the dark dragons. He had a miniscule beard growing upon the tip of his chin. His mane was neatly braided back behind his polished horns. He looked towards the crowning with both enthusiasm and trepidation.

It was these feelings that led him to journey deep within the Mountain of Malefor. But he was not alone. The prince was followed by General Grail, and a group of eight dark dragons. Baneth had planned for this trip for nearly half a year, alongside someone he considered a dear friend. And that friend was waiting for him in the heart of the Well of Souls.

"Can you feel it, General?" The prince turned to look up at the taller drake. "This is place is just BRIMMING with incredible magic!"

"Indeed." Grail turned his eyes up and down the caverns. His sight wasn't as keen as the prince, but he still had the same night-vision as any dark dragon. A low growl escaped his throat. "My prince, I still can't shake the feeling of foreboding from my scales. We shouldn't be here."

"Are you saying you fear something, oh mighty General?" A voice asked from behind. "By the Ancestors, we really MUST be doomed!"

Bane and Grail turned their heads to see Albanion approaching from behind. The poison dragon trotted up and came to a stop beside Baneth.

Grail looked down his muzzle at Albanion. "And just what are you doing up here, Albanion? I ordered you to take the rear position!"

"I'm the prince's bodyguard, aren't I?" Albanion shrugged. "I can't guard his body when I'm far behind him." He stretched out his back and fluttered his wings. "Unless you intended me to shield him from arrows like fodder."

Grail rolled his eyes. "I can't believe our King Urobos, in all his wisdom, saw fit to make YOU a Deep Shadow.

"Hey, it's been great for me." Albanion snickered. He draped a wing over the prince's back. "Right, Baneth?"

"Sure, Alby." Baneth said with a snort. Though serious he tried to seem, the prince couldn't help but snicker at his friend's antics.

Baneth and Albanion had been like brothers for all of their lives. Albanion became a Deep Shadow just for the chance to protect his best friend. The fact that both of their sweethearts were also best friends was an incredible coincidence. Neither of them complained, of course.

 _Ah, Elenar..._ Baneth smiled as his thoughts turned to his lovely shadow dragoness. _I hope you and the boys are doing alright._

The prince came to a stop as he thought about the last time he'd been with his wife. Baneth had been sent out on so many recon missions by his father throughout the dragon realms. Despite what a certain earth dragon in Warfang kept saying in his letters, Urobos was worried that the dragon realms still hadn't recovered from the Twilight War. Things didn't look like the dark dragons would be welcomed back with open arms any time soon.

But that was why Baneth came up with his plan. That was why he was here now, with all the support he'd needed if things went sour.

"So, where is our oh-so-generous host?" Grail snorted. "I would have thought the arrogant amethyst would be beyond delighted to join us here."

"He should be ahead of us." Baneth said. He pointed towards a freshly-lit torch further down into the cavern. "Can't you tell by the smoke? He's been through here."

"And he's brought friends." Albanion said, looking down at the ground. "At least eight sets of tracks. And look!" The poison drake reached down and scooped up a golden coin. "It's a Warfang Pence!"

"Figures..." The General gnashed his fangs.

"Keep your head on, General." Baneth said sternly. "We didn't come here for a fight. Try to remain calm."

Baneth and his entourage travelled deeper into the mountain for the better part of an hour. At the very center of the mountain, there was a massive crater. The ceiling of the crater's chamber had an opening which extended almost all the way up to the summit of the mountain. Four platforms were built around the crater, forming the four cardinal directions.

As Baneth and his followers approached the opening that fed into the southern platform, the prince could hear dragons hard at work scraping what sounded like rocks from the walls.

"We have company..." Grail snarled. He turned to signal his dragons for a sneak attack, but Baneth quickly turned and spread his wings out.

"Hold your magic!" He quickly shouted. "They won't attack us!"

"How can you be so sure?" Grail turned around to glare at the prince.

"Bergan gave me his word that they're neutral." Baneth nodded.

"Oh, of course he did." The General snorted. "We can _always_ trust the words of a trickster."

"Try to keep a level head, Oh General." Albanion snickered. Grail growled at him, but said nothing more.

Baneth took a breath before leading his entourage out onto the southern platform. Several dragons dressed in the official armor of Warfang were stationed around the sides of the platform, scraping red and green gems from the clusters on the side walls. An aged earth dragon with a bandana over his face stood in the corner, issuing commands.

"Be sure not to spill a single blue gem." The old dragon commanded. "They are a very precious commodity in this trying times."

Baneth's blood went cold when his eyes fell on the earth dragon. But remembering his training on diplomacy, the prince took a breath, cleared his throat, and strode confidently forwards amongst the light dragons.

"Hello, Richteriel." He said loudly. Even if Baneth knew beforehand that his father's former confidant would be waiting for him in the Well of Souls, the prince was never prepared for when he had to speak with him face to face.

All of the Warfang dragons stopped what they were doing as the prince strode forwards. Grail and the dark dragons spread out quietly amongst the center of the platform, their eyes never leaving focus on their light counterparts.

"Hmm?" Richteriel hummed curiously. He turned around and stamped his paws on the ground, sending vibrations out through the dragons. Richteriel then chuckled and sat back on his haunches. "Why, if it isn't the boy king. Bergan told me you'd all arrive somewhere around this time."

"We needed to ensure an escape route on the off-chance any of us got lost." The prince explained. His eyes glanced left and right, but he saw no signs of the elusive Bergan. "Where is he?"

"Our friend couldn't make it out here." Richteriel gave a mourning face. "It seems that much of his time has been taken up tending to his darling little girl."

"Right..." A quick shiver travelled up Baneth's scales, but he said nothing else. He should have known better than to think Bergan would bring his daughter to such a dangerous place. But nevertheless, Baneth stood up tall and continued. "I have come here on behalf of my father, King Urobos. We are investigating into whether the gems in the Mountain of Malefor can be salvaged."

"Look around, my prince." Richteriel grinned as he spread his wings out wide. "There's gem clusters as far as the eye can see!"

"How would he know that?" Albanion whispered with a smirk. Grail glared down at him with a look of disapproval. Baneth tried to ignore his friend's antics to focus on the elder dragon.

"Well, my companions wish to gather up a reasonable amount of Gems." The prince continued. "We only wish to take the necessary amount, so as not to dishonor this place."

"Dishonor it?" Richteriel repeated curiously.

"The Well of Souls was once home to the shadow dragons." The prince walked to the side of the elder dragon to look down at the crevice. "Lady Cynder once asked them to keep the majority of the gem clusters of the mountain preserved here. I kindly ask that you do the same, Richteriel."

"Ah, of course..." Richteriel ran a forepaw through his graying beard. "Lady Cynder's wishes..."

The prince sighed and stepped just a bit closer to the crevice. He turned back and used a wing to signal the General to spread their soldiers out to gather gems. The Warfang dragons looked about dubiously, but soon returned to their own work. Albanion and Grail joined their soldiers in the efforts, while Baneth turned to look down into the dark depths of the void.

The darkness seemed to go on for miles upon miles. Far and away, a feint light glowed ominously, like a distant star far beneath the world. As Baneth looked into the abyss, he felt compelled to step a bit closer. He concentrated on the light, trying to unravel a very deep secret.

 _The Well of Souls is one of the few locations tied to the realms beyond_. Baneth thought. _There has to be a way through here... But how can I ensure I don't go where I didn't intend?_

Baneth was pulled from his trance by the sounds of crackling stone. Part of the ground slammed down about a foot, nearly knocking him off balance.

"Prince Baneth!" Albanion shouted. "Look out!"

"What?" Baneth looked about in confusion. Before he realized it, the ground completely collapsed beneath the prince's paws. He was sent flying downwards and forwards into the crevice.

In a panic, the prince spread his wings out to try and fly free. But a chunk of the platform broke away and came crashing down, smashing into his back between the wings. Horrible pain filled Baneth's body as he spiraled and plummeted deep into the abyss.

As Baneth fell, his body shifted and looked upwards out of the crevice. Several dragons had ran to the edge of the platform in shock, watching as the prince descended. Richteriel loomed over the edge, a stoic expression on his blind face.

Baneth was filled with confusion, and anger. Had Richteriel done this?

"Prince Baneth!" Grail howled. The General pushed one of his soldiers out of the way so he could leap into the abyss after Baneth.

For a moment, the prince thought he was saved... but something was wrong. Baneth could hear strange whispers all around him, words spoken in a dead language. A strange force spread out around Baneth's body, forcing him to stay still. Though Grail flew fast, the prince fell faster.

"Prince! Prince!" Grail shouted in desperation. But before long, the General's powerful voice sounded no louder than a whimper. "...Prince..."

And down Baneth fell into the eternal abyss of darkness...

~~...~~

Baneth wasn't sure how long he was asleep. But he couldn't remember any dreams. But an ethereal voice called out to him.

 _ **Awaken, little prince. The source of your desires is within paw's reach.**_

An eerie chill crept up Baneth's spine. A strange, ethereal vibration passed over his body, filling his soul with dread. And nothing could prepare him for what he saw when he finally opened his eyes.

Baneth awoke upon a floating island, amongst a series of islands in an endless iridescent void void. Planetoids floated through "space" far beyond Baneth's reach. Monstrous creatures seemed to "swim" through the nothingness all around. Impossibly-long strings of lightning-bolts flew across the heavens, stretching outwards for eternity.

 _This..._ Baneth stood up, trying to banish the shivers from his body. _This is Convexity._

For the longest time, the prince had only his father's stories to go off of in regards to this realm. Nobody else dared to speak of the mythical "airlock" between the living world and what lay beyond. Not even the "heroes" deigned to enlighten Baneth in his youth.

"Finally, I'm here." Baneth stood up tall. "Now, I need to see what this realm has in store for me..."

Baneth looked around at the island in an attempt to get his bearings. He eventually spotted a black structure in the center of a ring of islands. A great pillar of purple energy flowed out of the center and up into the void. A second, similar pillar emerged from the bottom of the structure. Both pillars continued seemingly forever in both directions. As Baneth focused on the structure, something called out to him again. A power that felt all too familiar; the namesake of the realm, Convexity.

"That's the power I need." Baneth said. His being filled with joy and determination. "Finally... Convexity will be mine!"

Baneth immediately spread his wings and flew across the abyss to land in the center of the platform surrounding the structure. Four large portals stood prominently on all sides atop an obsidian altar. Four elemental crystals were built upon the archways above each portal. The ground closest to the altar had crumbled away, revealing a needle-like structure beneath it.

The closer Baneth got to the altar, the more he felt his enthusiasm slipping away. There was something off about the altar. A strange presence lingered over the island, which tapped at the back of the prince's mind. And when the prince landed his paws upon the central island, the presence spoke to him.

 _ **I know what you seek, little prince.**_ The voice said in Baneth's mind. _**You wish to take control over Convexity.**_

"Who are you?" The prince demanded.

 _ **My name is of no importance. Just know that I've made this realm my domain for a long time. You are the first visitor in well over a hundred years, Prince Baneth. Approach the altar, and claim your prize.**_

"Very well..." The prince said with a low growl. Taking a nervous breath, Baneth stepped forwards towards the obsidian structure. He climbed up a low set of steps and stopped before the pillar of energy. Baneth concentrated on the pillar and slowly closed his eyes. He tried to reach out for the energy to pull it into his body... but nothing happened.

 _ **You'll never obtain the power around you by simply willing it to you.**_ The voice laughed. _**No, you'll have to step into the energy. It must flow through you to become manifest!**_

Baneth didn't like the sound of that. From the look of the flowing energy, it couldn't have been safe to step into it. He needed to administer some sort of test. A way to ensure that he wouldn't be burned upon direct contact.

Sucking in his breath, Baneth inched a little bit closer to the pillar. He surrounded his forepaw with a layer of shadow magic, just enough to form a protective barrier. He then stuck the forepaw into the pillar and tried his best to absorb a small amount of the Convexity. As the purple energy flowed into his body, Baneth's talons felt as though they were on fire, and yet his flesh didn't burn. His forepaw pulsed with purple energy, and it wouldn't stop shaking.

 _It seems like I can control it_ , Baneth nodded to himself. _Now, let's see how much more I can absorb..._

Baneth stepped forwards, allowing more of himself to come into contact with the energy. The pulsing spread from his forepaw to the rest of his leg. Then his other foreleg followed suit. Baneth shut his eyes tight as his muzzle was engulfed in Convexity. Once the prince's tail had become enveloped in the pillar, his entire body shook and pulsed. Baneth felt his heart racing, and his head became lighter. His breaths quickened and his vision blurred.

Baneth quickly emerged through the other side of the altar, his entire body radiating with Convexity. All at once, he was compelled to move forwards. He started walking, but then moved to a jog, and then to a sprint. The prince was barely able to shift to towards the left to keep from careening over the side of the pillar.

 _This... This power..._ Baneth growled. He quickened himself ever more, his wings flapping wildly. In his wake, the prince left a burning purple aura in the air. He leaped forwards to fly, but he felt so much heavier than before. He landed with a hard crash, his paws cracking the platforms underfoot.

 _What's going on?_ Baneth shouted. _The Convexity! I can't control it! My soul... it's on fire!_

As the prince struggled to stop the burning, something took hold of him. He came to a forced and sudden stop and turned towards the altar again.

 _What is this?!_ Baneth fought and struggled to stop as his body walked forwards towards the altar. That was when he heard the voice laughing in his head.

 _ **You foolish little prince... Your body will soon be MINE.**_

The prince snarled. The presence had manipulated him. Anger and rage filled his mind. He fought with al of his might to break the force's control over him. But his body only stepped closer and closer to the pillar, a forepaw extended to reach into the energy. The prince couldn't let it end like this. There had to be a way to break free...

 _"Baneth..."_ A voice called out to the prince from somewhere above his head. _"Don't forget who you are..."_

A light shined down somewhere up above the prince. It pierced through the layers of convexity and penetrated Baneth's mind, finally giving him the lucidity he needed.

 _Here goes..._

The prince finally let go of his conscious self. He let his body go limp. Without his burning energy, his body collapsed at the foot of the steps. With what little control he had won back, Baneth moved to sit on his haunches. He clasped his forepaws together, and remembered his training.

 _I am calm... I am serene... I am Baneth._

A feeling of hatred crashed against the prince's mind. It spoke with a thousand voices of anger and malice. He concentrated on maintaining his composure, refusing to give in. All at once, the thousand furious voices pooled together, speaking as one entity.

 _ **You can't fight back! You are but a maggot against my power!**_

Baneth could feel the presence lashing at his mind. Something was lingering before him. The purple energy had a sentient spirit within. It loomed over Baneth, glaring down at him with a sickening pair of yellow eyes. Eyes that just couldn't belong to a normal dragon. It hissed and claws, trying to beat Baneth into submission.

But the prince didn't give in. He allowed the Convexity to fill him, to be sure, but it no longer burned. Baneth finally opened his eyes and rose up onto his paws.

The prince's entire body glowed with a purple aura. But it wasn't the burning dark purple that it was before; it was a soothingly light shade, which eased his soul. Baneth had taken complete control of the Convexity.

 _ **Damn you!**_ The vile voice roared.

"You'll have to look elsewhere for a vessel to steal." The prince said. "This body, and power, are mine alone."

Baneth had taken hold of as much power as he could without losing himself again. He turned away from the altar, spread his wings, and took off into flight. The prince would have to find a way to escape from this realm and return to his home. But as he flew away, he swore he could hear the voice speaking to him again with seething fury.

 _ **Mark my words, scion of Spyro. A time will come when I wreak my vengeance upon thee!**_

~~...~~

"Baneth!" Albanion shouted.

The prince's eyes snapped open. He scrambled to get onto his paws, his eyes in search of the malevolent voice. But to Baneth's surprise, he found himself laying in the middle of the snow, somewhere in the northern mountains. He was surrounded on all sides by Albanion, Grail, and their dark dragon soldiers. A ring of burned grass surrounded the prince, along with several glowing crystals.

How did he escape the realm of Convexity? And just who was that voice? Did they mean what they said about vengeance?

"My prince?" Albanion asked worriedly.

It looked like the prince didn't have time to ponder those questions. More pressing matters were at hand.

"Albanion...?" Baneth asked weakly. "What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us, my prince." Grail said, his eyes filled with dread and concern.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" One of the soldiers asked.

"I'm fine... I think." The prince nodded.

Baneth checked himself over. He had no burns, slashes, or any other injuries anywhere on his person. Looking down, the crystals were completely undamaged, though the grass beneath them had died off. Once he was sure that he was alright, he turned to look at the general. "How much time has passed since you last saw me?"

"You've been missing for three days, my prince." Grail said. "We've practically turned the whole mountain upside-down searching for any trace of you."

"Richteriel and his soldiers offered their usual brand of 'help'..." Albanion rolled his eyes as he said that. "But he eventually declared that he head to leave for 'official business' in Warfang. The coward..."

"Of course..." Bane snarled. He'd have to deal with Richteriel on his own time. But that could wait for now. He looked back up at the General. "What led you to me?"

"The explosion." Grail snorted. "We heard great rumbling outside the mountain and rushed to investigate. We just found you here moments ago, my prince."

"Ah..." Baneth nodded.

Albanion picked up one of the crystals and looked down at it with confusion. "What are these, Baneth?"

"These?" Baneth repeated. The prince chuckled as he picked up another of the crystals. "These, my friend... are the key to the future."

"What do you mean?" Grail raised an eye ridge. "And just where did you get them? They don't resemble any gem clusters we've seen in the mountains."

"I'll tell you where I found them," The prince said, "But you mustn't tell anyone else.

Albanion and Grail exchanged curious glances. Once they agreed, Baneth told everything he knew...

~~...~~

The king's eyes snapped open. He immediately sat up in his bed, a forepaw on his chest. His heart was beating like a drum, and his scales tingled as though he were about to be attacked. Bane took the deepest, longest breath he could to steady himself.

 _Memories..._ He told himself. _They are only memories._

Bane slowly slid his paws onto the floor and stood. He marched across his bedchamber and pushed open the doors to the balcony. He stepped out into the pouring rain as he looked out at the Warfang skyline. It was quiet and wet, same as it had been since he'd liberated the city.

There were so many things the king wished he had done differently. He should have killed Richteriel when he had the chance that day. He should have foreseen the attack on The Hive...

"Failure is made of should-haves." The king snarled. He placed his forepaws on the guardrail, squeezing it tight. "But mark my words, it won't be long before I finally put things right."

 _ **The Night of Eternal Darkness is almost here...**_

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

This interlude came up just a little bit shorter than I thought it would be. But that's not really much of a problem. My writing has been going strong up until now, and I'm pretty satisfied with it. See you next week, folks! Act 3 is almost here!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	28. Act 3, Chapter 1

The news spread through Saul's camp like wildfire. Soon everyone was rushing to see Spyro and Urobos with their own eyes.

All of the Guardians and Deep Shadows were shocked. But none more so than Albanion. While he was surprised to see the famed purple dragon walking the realms again, it was the old king that struck the personal cord.

"It can't be..." Albanion said, his eyes wide. He struggled not to collapse onto his haunches. "Lord Urobos? You're alive? How can this be?"

The old black dragon looked down at Albanion in pity.

"Albanion, I... I never died to begin with." Urobos said between breaths. He had to speak slowly, for his chest still burned after expending so much magical energy. But despite the pain, he still looked down at the Deep Shadow with pity.

"I have so many questions!" Albanion exclaimed, struggling to keep his voice from cracking. "How did you survive? Why didn't you come before us sooner? Why didn't you reveal who you were when we met you out on the plain? Where were you all this time?!"

"Albanion please..." Urobos said as he stretched out a wrinkled wing. "I know you and your companions all have many questions, but there needs to be a right time and place to answer them."

While the Deep Shadows were shocked to have their old king standing before them, the Guardians (as well as the many soldiers around the camp) had all bowed down before Spyro. The ancient purple dragon looked around at them with a slight grimace.

 _"Even after all this time, I still struggle to stand before crowds."_ He said with a sighed. _"Could you all please stand upright again?"_

Most of the soldiers shifted uncomfortably as they stood up, but the Guardians quickly rose up to salute the purple.

"Lord Spyro..." Jules said, his face the expression of joy. "It is truly an honor to meet you... well, your spirit at least."

 _"Well, good to meet you as well..."_ Spyro said, trying to be welcoming. _"Err, what was your name?"_

"I am Jules, my lord. Captain of the Guardians of Glenhaven."

 _"Right..."_ The purple nodded. _"My apologies, I only know the names of Rune's foster parents, Hontus and Seraph."_

The fire and ice dragons gasped in surprise. They immediately bowed down again before Spyro.

"You know who we are?" Seraph exclaimed.

 _"Yes, of course."_ The purple spirit said with a light smile. _"But listen, we don't have much time to talk. Urobos and I can explain everything, but we need you all to-"_

"Just what in the name of the Ancestors is going on out here?!" A familiar voice shouted. Guardians and Deep Shadows alike turned around to see Commander Saul storming down the aisle of tents, flanked by his soldiers. "Has everyone lost their minds?! What is all the commotion about-?!"

Saul cut himself off when his eyes fell upon Urobos and Spyro. And when all eyes fell on him, his body froze over. His being filled with fear at the sight of the purple dragon, who glared back at him.

"L... Lord Spyro?" Saul stammered, his body shaking. "But I... I thought you were..."

 _"You are Commander Saul, of the city of Aeroshard."_ Spyro said, his ethereal wings flapping as he turned to face him. _"Am I correct?"_

"Uh..." The commander stuttered. He wasn't sure whether to bow down or stay standing. "Y-Yes, my lord."

Everyone became uneasy as the purple dragon focused his glare into Saul's eyes. _"You are planning on storming Warfang to retake it from the dark dragons, yes?"_

"Of course, Your Greatness!" Saul exclaimed enthusiastically. "I wish to free your capital city from the black king's terror! Isn't that what you'd want, my lord?"

The purple spirit was silent for a moment in contemplation. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

 _"Whatever dark dragon prisoners you might have taken..."_ Spyro focused on the commander again. "Gather them all together and-"

"Dispose of them?" Saul asked quickly.

 _"NO!"_ The purple spirit roared. The ground shook beneath the feet of everyone in the area. Saul himself nearly fell onto his back in his haste to step away from Spyro. After a moment of silence, Spyro took a deep breath again and continued. _"I want as little bloodshed as possible, Commander. You are to release the prisoners and send them back to Warfang. I have a message I wish to send back with them to the black king."_

Saul looked at Spyro incredulously as he stood upright. There was clearly much he wanted to argue about, but couldn't work up the nerve to defy the purple spirit.

"My lord, Spyro..." Saul slowly said carefully. "It only takes one dragon to deliver a message."

Spyro merely glared into Saul's eyes with tranquil fury. _"It also takes only one dragon to make a serious mistake."_

"Y...Yes, my lord. I understand what you're saying." Saul stepped back, trying not to shudder. He turned around and dashed off into the camp.

"Someone should go with him." Voden said. "Just to make sure those dark dragons are genuinely set free."

"I wish I could say I trust Saul..." Spyro sighed. "But my range of movement is a tad... limited. Someone will have to go in my stead."

"I could go bring the dark dragons to Warfang." Aegis declared. All eyes were soon on the burly drake. "My lord, I am Aegis, a Deep Shadow who serves King Bane. I have the authority to keep the dark dragons in line if they're looking for a fight."

 _"I see..."_ Spyro raised an eye ridge. _"You seem... off for a dark dragon. Are you one of the king's... experiments?"_

"Yes, sir." Aegis bowed his head.

"Experiments?" Voden asked curiously, scratching his chin. "What do you mean by that?"

 _"There's not enough time to elaborate on that right now."_ Spyro said. He looked out amongst the five dragons and spread out his wings. _"Guardians, Deep Shadows, please lend an ear frill. All of you are on the same side."_

"That's what we were trying to tell them!" Elza exclaimed. "We were trying to tell them about Rune, but they attacked us!"

 _"Don't start the argument again!"_ Spyro demanded. He then took a moment to calm himself down yet again. _"Darn it, I didn't used to get this frustrated to easily. You'd think being a spirit would be less stressful than having a corporeal body..."_

Once Spyro had "caught his breath" so to speak, he fluttered his wings and went on. "I need you to come with Urobos and I. There are many things you need to learn about Rune, and the danger he's in.

"Do you know where he went?" Seraph asked, her eyes pleaded.

 _"No..."_ Spyro frowned _. "However, we have someone searching for him, and his brother Cyrus. Rest assured that we're doing everything we can to find them and all the younglings. But they're all in grave danger, and Urobos and I need to fill you all in as quickly as we can. Please, come with us."_

Albanion exchanged glances with Elza and Aegis. All of them were unsure on what to do. Jules and the other Guardians had the same uneasy feelings. Eventually, Albanion took a few careful steps forwards towards Jules. The captain held back a snarl, but was intrigued when Albanion brought his head low.

"On behalf of my companions, I ask for a truce." The Deep Shadow said. "We wish to rescue Prince Rune, Prince Cyrus, and any other younglings who may have endangered themselves on their mission to the Well of Souls. What say you, Captain?"

Jules thought for a moment. He glanced back at the reassuring faces of both Spyro and the old black dragon. He then nodded his head and looked back.

"I accept the terms of a truce, for the sake of the younglings." Jules declared. "But once this ordeal is resolved, there will be an accounting for the trouble you caused back in Glenhaven."

"Very well." Albanion folded his wings against his back. "We'll cross that bridge when we arrive at it."

Elza and Seraph glanced at each other. They held stares full of hate for a time. It was clear that neither dragoness was ready to offer an apology for the fight. But they eventually broke off the stare and addressed Spyro again.

"I'll come along..." Seraph said with trepidation. "But that doesn't mean I have to like her."

Elza snorted and rolled her eyes. She was about to say something in response, but was distracted by the sounds of ruffling chains. She turned her gaze back at the camp in time to see Commander Saul returning. He was followed by a few of his guards, who surrounded four dark dragons. All of them wore bandages and stitches on their bodies, though the youngest one merely had scratches on his back.

Everyone watched as Saul came to a stop before Spyro once again. He gave a rather dubious salute and struggled to look the purple spirit in the eyes.

"Here they are... my lord." Saul said begrudgingly. "I've brought the dark dragons before you... who by the way attacked the good captain Jules over there with the intent to kill."

Spyro shot the commander a sneer, and then looked down upon the four dark dragons. They were all shocked and surprised to be standing in the presence of the purple spirit.

"By the ancestors, it's HIM!" One of them shouted in fear. "Spyro has risen from the dead to finish us off personally!"

 _"There will be none of that."_ Spyro snapped. _"You've all been granted the freedom to return home, thanks to me."_

With a nod from the purple spirit to the gaurds, the dark dragons were freed from their shakles. The foursome looked around in confusion, until the three Deep Shadows stepped before them.

"You'll all be returning back to Warfang." Albanion said. "Whatever you've done here is a moot point, so long as you don't attack again."

"S-Sir Albanion?" The younger one asked curiously. "What are you doing here?"

"That doesn't matter." Aegis declared. "What DOES matter is that you'll all be coming with me to report back to the king."

"...With You?" Another dark dragon sneered.

"Exactly." Albanion scowled at the dragon, who faltered and looked away. "Aegis is your Deep Shadow, and you will pay him just as much respect. Is that CLEAR?"

"Y-Yes sir..." The foursome quickly said, too afraid to look him in the eyes.

"Good." Albanion nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Do you mind if I come along as well?" Voden asked. The Guardians and Deep Shadows all turned towards the scholar with looks of surprise.

"You?" Aegis asked curiously. "Why would you want to tag along with us?"

"That's a very good question." Jules glared at the scholar. "What are you thinking, Voden?"

"I'm thinking it's time I did something on behalf of the Elders of Glenhaven." Voden declared. "I wish to go before the black king to as an envoy, and discuss terms of peace."

Just every dragon besides Spyro and Urobos looked at Voden as if he'd just grown another head. There were even a few chuckles rising out of the crowd in the distance. But Voden stood tall and confident, refusing to back down.

"Are you really sure about that, Voden?" Seraph asked with concern.

"Indeed I am, Seraph." Voden answered with determination. "Up until now have felt like a third wheel, despite travelling in a party of four. Yours and the captain's children have been missing, whereas I felt like I've had no stakes in this journey. But now..." Voden turned towards the distant Warfang. "...Now I feel as though I can do something good for all of the dragon realms. As a pacifist, I shall speak with the black king, and attempt to reason with him."

Voden stepped around to address Aegis directly. "Would you mind escorting a Guardian to the black king, sir?"

Aegis grimaced. He scratched at his beard as he tried to think. "Well... I can try. But I'm not exactly the most popular dragon there. The king himself values my life, but the others..."

 _"It doesn't matter what the others think."_ Spyro declared. _"I've yet to tell you what my message to Baneth is. And I'm sure he won't DARE lay a talon on anyone after hearing it."_

"How can you be so sure?" Aegis asked.

 _"Step forwards, Sir Aegis."_ The purple spirit grinned. The burly drake shrugged and approached. Spyro whispered something into Aegis's ear frill. Something that made Aegis's mane stand on end.

"Th-There's no time to lose then, is there!" Aegis shouted. He scrambled to reach into his satchel to retrieve a crystal of convexity. He then ran out a short distance and tossed the crystal through the air. "Everyone DUCK!"

Everyone shouted in surprise as an explosion of magic erupted through the camp. A large purple portal appeared in the clearing, filling the camp with a bright purple hue.

"No time to waste!" Aegis turned to snap at the four dark dragons. "All of you, get going now!"

"But-" One of them tried to speak, but Aegis uttered a growl. They quickly quited up and scrambled to rush through the portal. Once they were gone, Aegis ran up beside Voden and tugged at his forepaw.

"Come with me or not, there's little time to decide!" He snapped.

"Er, uh, okay." Voden could barely get the words out as he was practically dragged behind the burly dragon. The scholar looked back just in time to wave a wing at his companions. "Farewell! I'll see you all later, I hope!"

"May the Ancestors look after you." Jules said, giving a salute.

Albanion and Elza didn't say anything to Aegis as he vanished through the portal with the scholar. They merely bent their heads low and muttered feint prayers.

"My goodness..." Saul said with wide eyes. He looked at Spyro curiously "My lord... What did you tell the rotund one?"

"It's not for you to know right now." Spyro snapped. He waited to make sure the portal closed behind the dark dragons before turning his head back to the commander. "Don't think for a moment about chasing after them."

"What?" Saul asked in anger.

 _"And you're not to launch any sneak attacks on Warfang either."_

"Y... You can't be serious!" Saul shouted. "After everything the black king has done, you're just going to command me to let him have Warfang?! Let him wage another war on the dragon race?!"

"Do not question my judgment, son of Gaius." Spyro glared down at the commander. "With any luck, Warfang will be your bastion of safety against a coming storm. But that won't be the case if you attack the city."

"Are you mad?! Warfang has-!"

Saul was cut off by the ground shaking. The purple spirit looked down at him with a ghostly fury that few could stand up again. Even the Guardians and Deep Shadows found themselves faltering at the sight of the furious purple dragon.

"Alright, alright!" Saul shouted, backing away again. "I've obeyed you so far, my lord. I won't start defying you now."

 _ **"Good."**_ Spyro snapped. He shut his eyes and allowed his spirit to calm down once again. He then turned around to address the Guardians and Deep Shadows. _**"It's high time you all came with Urobos and me."**_

"I'm going to need your assistance, my lord." Urobos said with a cough.

 _"I understand."_

Urobos stepped up to the glyph and placed his forepaw before Spyro. The purple spirit grasped the old drake's forepaw, and his amethyst body glowed with a bright white energy. The energy flowed from Spyro's purple body across the forepaws, and turned to a dark mist that surrounded Urobos. The old drake then extended his other forepaw, and in his grasp formed an orb of darkness. Urobos tossed the orb before himself onto the ground, where it spread out into a "pool" of energy. The energy swirled about for a short time before exploding upwards. First it was a geyser, and then its shape twisted and shifted to form an oval, big enough for an adult dragon to step through.

Most of the dragons in the are stepped back in alarm.

"What is that?" Jules demanded.

 _"Don't stress yourself out, captain."_ Spyro said as he let go of Urobos's paw. _"It's merely a portal to elsewhere, and nothing more."_

"I'll step through first." Urobos said. "I'll be waiting for you all on the other side.

"But you still haven't told us where it goes!" Seraph protested. She watched as the aged black dragon stepped forwards through the portal, vanishing from view. Seraph clutched Hontus's forepaw. "This is rather unsettling."

"Losing your nerve, ice queen?" Elza asked with a smirk.

Seraph glared back at the wind dragoness, making her chuckle. In a huff, Seraph tilted her head upwards and strode forwards into the portal.

"Seraph, hold on a moment!" Hontus exclaimed as he hurriedly followed after her.

Once they had gone through, Albanion and Elza stepped in after them. Jules was the last one to stand before the portal. He glanced back at Commander Saul, who was trying to hide a glare of rage at the captain. Jules merely snorted and turned to look up at Spyro.

"My lord, it would be nice to know exactly what awaits on the other side of this portal." He said quietly enough so none could hear him.

"You'll have to find our for yourself, Guardian." Spyro whispered back. "There are some things I'd rather be kept a secret."

With a sigh, Jules stepped forwards through the portal. Spyro entered it last, using his magic to seal it up behind him in case anywhere tried jumping through.

Saul stood there for a few moments. His mind tried to comprehend everything that had just happened.

Dark dragons sneaking into the camp twice. A purple dragon thought dead for two decades returning as a spirit. Being forced to release dark dragon prisoners, with a message from Spyro for the black king's ear frills only. Being forced to give up on all attacks against the dark dragons. And light and black dragons working together under the purple sage's supervision.

"Has the whole world gone mad?" Saul scowled. "How could all of this come to be?"

"Are you alright, commander?" One of the nearby soldiers asked.

"Of course not, you fool!" Saul snapped. "I've just been ordered by one of the greatest heroes in dragon history to just let a vile villain keep his hold on Warfang! How would YOU handle the situation!"

The soldier all exchanged glanced. None of them knew what to say to the enraged commander.

"Well... what should we do then, sir?" A cheetah asked.

"First things first..." Saul decided with a glare. "We need to find the Pappas!"

"Oh, that won't be necessary, Commander!" An aged voice called from behind. "You'll find that I'm quite alright!"

"Eh?" Saul grunted in surprise. He slowly turned around, noticing that most of the soldiers were all gasping and bowing down.

"Pappas Richteriel?!" Saul exclaimed. He quickly bowed down before the aged drake, as did all of his soldiers. Richteriel merely chuckled and walked by him, patting him on the back with a wing.

"There's no need for that, Saul." The blind dragon grinned. "You're my beloved son-in-law, after all."

"Uh... right." Saul quickly stood up, trying his damndest not to blush with embarrassment in front of his soldiers. He shook his head and followed quickly after Richteriel. "My Pappas, you have incredible timing. Not just a moment ago, we-"

"Had an unexpected visit from the late Lord Spyro." Richteriel interrupted.

"Y... Yes." Saul nervously swallowed. air. "But, how did you...?"

"These eyes of mine may no longer work, but that doesn't mean I didn't see this coming." Richteriel declared. "By now, the scholar and the Deep Shadow have run off with those prisoners, as per Spyro's orders."

"I wouldn't have let them go otherwise!" Saul snapped. His eyes quickly went wide and he struggled to compose himself. "Err, forgive me, my Pappas. It's just that... I couldn't deny orders from..." A shudder climbed up Saul's spine at just the memory of those furious eyes. "...Him."

"Don't worry your head, Saul." Richteriel turned his head back at him. "Not even I could have the spine to defy the orders of a purple dragon."

"But..." Saul brought took a nervous breath and lifted a wing up over his and Richteriel's head. He whispered as lowly as he could. "But what if the spirit of Spyro is on to us? What if he knows what the Order has done to Cynder's name?"

"Don't get yourself too worked up, Commander." Richteriel replied. "We can discuss what we'll do about them after I pay my daughter and grandson a visit."

"Er... yes, my Pappas." Saul said nervously. He folded his wing onto his back and followed Richteriel off into the camp...

~~...~~

One by one, the five dragons followed Urobos through the portal. Spyro followed them from behind, and they all stood in the center of a great, circular chamber.

The entire chamber flowed with an ancient, teal-colored energy. Countless books were neatly arranged on dozens of shelves that rose higher and higher towards the distant "ceiling" of stars. Many books floated weightlessly through the air, guided along to their destinations by an unseen force. The centermost part of the chamber was sunk-in, with a ring of bright candles decorated around it. Six doors were built around the chamber; one to the north, one to the south, and two doors on either side. Each of the four side doors were locked tight, with two short pillars erected before the ends of the archways. The four doors glowed with one of the four elements of light: Fire, Ice, Electricity and Earth, in that order.

Urobos stood before the northern door, a calm expression on his face. Albanion and Elza looked about curiously, their eyes taking in the runes on the doors. Jules kept his eyes pointed towards the "ceiling", trying to make sense of it. And Hontus and Seraph looked towards the doors that matched their elements. Almost tried to guess how to open them.

"What is this place?" Hontus asked. "I've never seen anything so... bizarre."

Hontus received an answer in the form of an aged voice. _**"Welcome, light and dark dragons alike, to the White Isle."**_

All of the dragons jumped in surprise. The voice sounded like it came from all around them.

"Who said that?" Jules snapped, looking this way and that four the source of the voice.

 _"Don't mind that."_ Spyro said with a light chuckle. _"That's how dragons in his position prefer to communicate."_

"Who?" Seraph asked curiously.

In response, the door that Urobos stood before slowly opened inwards. The voice spoke again. _**"Step inside, all of you."**_

All seven dragons stepped through the door into the northern chamber. Though it was smaller than the first chamber, it was much more elaborate in design. The first thing they saw was the enormous hourglass-like device in the center. Countless more shelves rose both up high into the "ceiling" and down for leagues into the "basement", both of which resembled endless blue voids in space. Intricate symbols lined the walls over every shelf, bearing both a number and a sigil.

"Wow..." Elza's eyes widened as she looked down as several of the shelves. "I'll bet Aegis would love to crack open one of these books. Who knows what secrets lie inside them?"

 _ **"I do."**_ The voice from before chuckled. " _ **It is almost the entire history of the dragon race."**_

Elza looked up in surprise towards the voice, as did the others. Another door opened up at the far back, and in stepped an ancient dragon. His scales were teal in color, and he wore an odd assortment of cerulean robes over his hide. The dragon's horns were somewhat lightning-bolt shaped. Instead of a mane, a series of spines ran down his back to his tail. A blue crystal was worn on a chain around his neck, attached to the gold collar of his robes.

As the teal dragon approached the visitors, Spyro and Urobos walked over to stand on either side of him. The Guardians and Deep Shadows gathered around the hourglass to face their host.

"Who might you be?" Albanion asked curiously.

 _ **"I am Ignitus."**_ The teal dragon said with a smile. _**"I am also known as The Chronicler."**_

"The Chronicler?" Albanion repeated. "I've never heard of you."

 _ **"I am the one charged with recording the many trials and errors the dragon race endures throughout the ages."**_ Ignitus nodded. _**"I've had this task for the last century and a half. And what eventful years they've been."**_

"Alright, but what does that have to do with us?" Hontus asked as he sat down. "Why bring us here?"

"To ask for your aid." Urobos said. "And to aid you in return."

"Do you mean to help us find Rune?" Seraph asked, biting her lip uneasily.

 _"Yes, but there's more to it than that."_ Spyro said. He looked between the three Guardians. _"You three know of Rune's identity as the prince of the dark dragons, yes?"_

"Hontus does, to be sure." Jules snorted.

"Guardians, Deep Shadows, you have all been on quite the harrowing journeys, I'm sure." Urobos said. "But this is where you must combine forces and share everything you've each learned if you wish to aid us in rescuing Rune and Cyrus."

 _ **"There is much to discuss, my friends."**_ Ignitus said, his face turning serious.

"Do you know where Rune is, Sir Chronicler?" Jules asked.

 _ **"I'm afraid not."**_ The teal dragon shook his head. _**"Despite my best efforts to scry for Rune, he's beyond my reach. Our only clue is that he and his brother are making their way to the Well of Souls."**_

"Yes, that's right." Albanion said. "The princes wish to revive their mother Elenar. They may hope that she is the only one who can stop King Bane from enacting his plans on the Night of Eternal Darkness."

Urobos's face became filled with sadness at the mention of the black king's name. He briefly looked away, seemingly searching for answers to questions left unasked. Jules, however, had plenty to ask.

"What plan might that be?" The yellow drake demanded. "How long has he been planning them? And just what is the relevance of the Night of Eternal Darkness?"

"My son... Baneth..." Urobos said with a pained expression. "He has lost his way, and now he seeks vengeance on all light dragons."

Hontus, Seraph and Jules were appalled. Albanion and Elza merely exchanged dreadful expressions. The old black dragon seemed ashamed to speak those words.

"With the power of the Night of Eternal darkness, Baneth, and all other dark dragons, will gain incredible magic power." Urobos said, his eyes cast down at the floor. "Light dragons, on the other paw, will be stripped of all their magical energy. Baneth will then bring his army across the dragon realms, conquering every dragon city. The light dragons will be forcibly transformed... or made to perish by Baneth's paw."

"The fiend!" Jules shouted. "We can't let him get away with this!"

"Yes, he must be stopped..." Urobos said with a sigh. "But Baneth didn't always seek to plunge the dragon realms into darkness. There's more behind his deeds than you can know."

"Of course Elza and I would know, sire!" Albanion exclaimed. "We were there. We remember it like it were yesterday."

"I know you do, Albanion." Urobos sighed again. "I was speaking to our light dragon guests."

"Do you think you could all be a bit clearer?" Hontus asked.

"Let me ask you something, my friends..." Urobos turned his eyes to the Guardians. "You all recall the Twilight War, yes?"

"How could we not?" Jules frowned. "It was one of the bleakest of times throughout the realms."

 _"Indeed..."_ Spyro said with a nod, _"But do any of you know how the war started in the first place?"_

Hontus and Seraph exchanged confused glances. Jules opened his muzzle to say something, but closed it and shook his head. Albanion and Elza, meanwhile, clattered their talons against the floor, anger burning on their faces.

"Acceptable Losses." Elza muttered through gritted fangs, her eyes downcast.

"Eh?" Hontus turned towards the dragoness in confusion. "What was that?"

"Acceptable Losses!" Elza shouted out. Once the eyes of the three light dragons were on her, Elza began to explain.

"It is a phrase that no wind dragon can ever forget. It was tossed our way when we spoke in outrage against a horrible crime committed against our people by the king of the ice dragons."

Seraph took a step back, gnashing her fangs. Hontus noticed her rage and quickly stepped in front of her. "Err, could you be more specific? I've never heard of this."

 _ **"Explanations through talking will take much too long."**_ Ignitus cut in. The Guardians and Deep Shadows all looked towards the teal drake as he stood up tall and extended his wings. _**"It's best if I simply showed you all the event that sparked the war."**_

"Showed us?" Jules repeated curiously. "How?"

Ignitus held a forepaw towards the hourglass mechanism. It slowly glowed a bright green, before filling the entire chamber with light. It started in low, but quickly overcame every object with a white radiance. The Guardians and Deep Shadows all had to shield their eyes as everything became engulfed in light.

And then, almost as fast as the chamber was filled with light, it became engulfed in a black abyss. All of the furniture, the countless bookshelves, and the hourglass vanished from existence. Orbs of light formed in the center of the chamber, before breaking apart into many specks of light. The specks spread out wildly in all directions, passing harmlessly through the eight dragons.

"What is this madness?" Albanion demanded.

 _ **"Don't lose your sense."**_ Ignitus said. The teal dragon stepped backwards, as did Urobos and Spyro. _**"This is merely the process of reaching out across space and time. We are calling forth the events that took place in the city of Warfang roughly twenty years ago. Everything you're about to see is a reflection of the past."**_

Soon the specks of light stopped passing through the dragons; they slowed down and melted into various colors. The colors spread out and connected with each other, forming images around the chamber. Soon, the eight dragons were standing in the interior of a great coliseum. Dragons of all colors took their seats in the stadium. The air was filled with countless shouts and arguments. The roof of the coliseum was exposed, revealing the night sky. In the very center, there sat nine large, golden thrones arranged in a U-shape. Two other, larger thrones sat across from the nine, one made of amethyst and the other of obsidian. The dragons on the other thrones would occasionally cast short, but mournful glances at either one of the two thrones.

The Guardians and Deep shadows found themselves standing a short distance from the nine thrones. Seraph broke away from the others and examined the coliseum's walls.

"I haven't seen this coliseum in years..." Seraph said in awe. "What night is this?"

 _"This is the Council of the Monarchs."_ Seraph answered, drawing her attention.

"Aye..." Urobos nodded. "And there I am."

The aged dragon pointed across the way to the dragon sitting upon the throne in the center of the U-shape. It was a significantly younger, though still middle-aged dragon. The past Urobos had a silver-tinted mane and beard. He wore a simple set of dark-cloth robes over his body; a stark contrast to the regal jewelry and crowns worn by the other monarchs around him. The younger Urobos was also the shortest dragon on the thrones as well.

"Settle down, everyone." The past Urobos said to the crowd. Every dragon hushed themselves almost immediately. The black dragon cleared his throat and continued. "Welcome one and all to the annual Council of the Monarchs. I, as High King, welcome you all. But it is with a heavy heart that I must declare that we must discuss a most serious matter."

"We most certainly do!" A cerulean dragon declared from his place upon the throne marked with a Tear sigil. His scales were patterned after the waves of the sea, and his crown was adorned with sapphires.

High King Urobos looked upon the drake with disapproving eyes. "Please hold your tongue until you're given the chance to speak, Oceanus."

Seraph gasped when her eyes fell upon the watery drake. Hontus noticed her distress and draped a wing over her back. Seraph looked up at Hontus for a moment, but then sighed and looked away.

"What's the matter?" The current Urobos asked with a frown.

"That dragon is... my father." Seraph said sadly.

"Your father?" Albanion repeated. "You're the daughter of the late King Oceanus?"

"One of two." Seraph clarified. She then sighed and turned to watch the Council as it went on. Albanion opened his maw to press for more information, but decided against it with a snort. He looked back in time to see High King Urobos address the crowd.

"In the last few weeks, a gang of rogue dragons have banded together and terrorized the people of Dante's Freezer. They've committed all kinds of foul deeds ranging from stealing good and livestock, to outright vandalism of sacred shrines and temples. Frustrated with the ensuing attacks, King Oceanus had his soldiers track down the vandals to a hideout in the vicinity of Aeroshard."

A low growl came from the forest-green dragon sitting on the throne marked with a cycle. High King Urobos cast him a nervous glance before continuing his story.

"The rogues were found hiding in a cave just outside of Aeroshard's territory. King Oceanus's soldiers ambushed the rogues, who were caught off-guard and... dispatched. During the raid, Oceanus's dragons found a number of dragon eggs in the cave. In their haste, the soldiers assumed the eggs belong to the rogues, so they..." The king took a heavy breath. "...Smashed them all."

A silence fell over the coliseum as all the dragons felt the weight of the words. Elza started shaking with rage; she could barely withhold from snarling at King Oceanus. She wasn't the only one; the forest green dragon was shaking with a silent fury. His jade-clad crown nearly fell from his head as he glared into the unblinking eyes of the ice king.

"An investigation was conducted on the cave." High King Urobos continued. "The eggs didn't belong to the rogues at all. In fact, the entire cave wasn't even their hideout; it was, in fact, a hatchery put in place by the dragons of Aeroshard. The rogues had merely camped there for the night when they were ambushed."

A clamor of bickering started to rise in the crowd. As Urobos looked all around, the forest-green dragon rose a wing into the air. "Permission to speak?"

"The floor is open for King Boreas." The high king declared. He sat down as the wind king rose up from his throne. Boreas struggled to look calm as he faced the ice king.

"That cave has been in use by my subjects for the last seventy years." Boreas said, his temper seemingly controlled. "We have told you and your people, King Oceanus, that the slaughter of those eggs was a terrible outrage. We have since demanded an accounting for the loss of lives. But instead you...you..." The wind king's temper finally snapped. He slammed his paws on the floor and roared in rage. "You SPIT IN OUR FACES! You have the NERVE to sit before me and call the loss of eggs, and I quote... 'Acceptable Losses'. ACCEPTABLE! LOSSES!"

Oceanus slammed his own forepaws down and rose up to shout at the wind king. "I've told you again and again! The destruction of the eggs couldn't be helped!"

"Couldn't be helped?! HOW Could it NOT be HELPED!" Boreas roared.

"I told my soldiers that their primary goal was the eliminate the rogues." Oceanus put a forepaw to his chest. "They weren't given specific orders regarding destroying or sparing any eggs they found."

"There was no need to destroy those eggs!" Boreas sneered. "Don't you realize how many younglings were cheated out of their lives?!"

Before Oceanus could say anything else, a lime-green dragon on the throne engraved with an Inverted Circle stood up and pointed an accusatory talon at the wind king.

"You're certainly one to talk!" The earth dragon exclaimed.

"This doesn't concern you, Gaius!" Boreas snapped.

"King Gaius..." Jules said quietly. "He's Saul's father."

"Don't try to weasel away from your own sins." Gaius snarled. "After the last discussion you had with Oceanus, you had the nerve to launch an attack on HIS territory! All out of SPITE!"

"Don't you dare try ganging up on Boreas!" A dark grey dragoness snapped from the throne marked with a thorn sigil She straightened out her robes as the other kings looked her way.

"Ah, you Poison dragons always rush to defend the wind drakes." Oceanus sneered. "Typical Persephone, always lacking her backbone."

"You would dare insult the Poison Queen?" Persephone snarled.

From then on, the monarchs devolved into a series of back and forth arguments. Insults were throne around liberally, and tensions only rose higher and higher. And all the while, High King Urobos struggled in vain to keep the peace.

"Would you all stop fighting like this?!" Urobos shouted. "Can you not be civil anymore?!"

As the council devolved into chaos, the Guardians and Deep Shadows had to step back. Ignitus watched the arguments with indifference. Urobos and Spyro, however, were mournful and distressed, respectively. Spyro's muzzle was pointed low to the ground, his eyes filled with regret.

Jules shook his head in disgust. "I... I can't believe this."

"I was given retellings of this council in my youth," Albanion sneered, "But I had always chalked things up to exaggeration. This... This is awful."

Hontus looked down at Seraph again, who's features drooped.

"My father... he wasn't the most stable dragon." She said. "His temper was legendary during my years living at home in Dante's Freezer. Many in his court often joked that he was secretly a fire dragon painted blue. I... I didn't think other monarchs could behave as such."

Hontus frowned and pulled Seraph close to him. It was the best he could think of to lighten her mood.

"I tried to stop them..." The current Urobos said with a sigh. "I really tried to pull things back around. But alas, things only went downhill from there, after my son arrived..."

The aged black dragon pointed back towards the exit hallway which the Guardians and Deep Shadows stood before. Two teenage dragons walked into the coliseum; A midnight-black male and a dark grey female. Albanion and Elza flinched in surprise as the past dragons walked right through them.

"Baneth and Elenar..." Elza said, her eyes wide.

The past Baneth was almost unrecognizable. No beard, no battle scars, a much shorter mane, and a youthful expression... He was Baneth, and yet he wasn't Baneth. Meanwhile, Elenar was a bright-faced dragoness, standing just shorter than Baneth. She wore little jewelry, though the most prominent was a silver tiara on her head with a matching cape draped over her back.

"Who is Elenar?" Seraph asked curiously.

"She is... was... the princess of the Shadow dragons." The current Urobos said. "She was good friends with my son and a few other of the heirs of the other monarchs."

Hontus scratched his beard. "Why are they here?"

"You'll see..." Urobos nodded.

Baneth and Elenar walked forwards with concerned expressions. They stepped around the purple and black thrones to stand between the monarchs. The kings and queens all stopped their arguments and looked down at the younglings surprise and anger.

"Baneth?" High King Urobos exclaimed. "What are you doing up here?"

"I couldn't stay away, father." The young Baneth said. His voice had just recently escaped the cracking of puberty. He turned around to look at each of the eight monarchs. "I don't understand why you're all arguing like this."

"Excuse you?" Boreas raised an eye ridge.

"King Boreas," Baneth looked up at the wind king nervously. "I'm sorry, but both you and King Oceanus are in the wrong. Because of all this spite, many dragons have lose their lives, both hatched and unhatched!"

"Silence, boy!" Oceanus bellowed. Baneth jumped in surprise at the ice king's outburst. The icy drake rose up to glare down at him and point a talon. "Do you think you have the right to stick your snout where it doesn't belong?!"

"Alright, that's enough!" High King Urobos snapped. "That's where I tray the line, Oceanus. You will NOT speak to my son that way."

"Baneth is right anyway!" Elenar exclaimed. "King Oceanus, you could have at least given a proper apology to the dragons of Aeroshard for the loss of the eggs."

"Don't get involved in this, Elenar." Said the dragoness upon the throne marked with crossed infinity-signs. The shadow princess turned to frown upon her mother, Queen Eliza. She wore a similar cape, and had a crown of onyx.

"But, mother..." Elenar frowned. "Don't you think that-?"

"Just leave." Eliza sneered. "I'll deal with you late."

"Heed your mother's warning, girl." A rotund dragon snorted. He sat upon the throne marked with a fireball. The large drake shifted in his ill-fitting robes, his crown of rubies worn over one horn. "This is no place for younglings."

Elenar glared up at the fiery drake. "You're all ACTING like younglings, King Horus! Lady Cynder wouldn't be pleased if she was here!"

Horus and the other monarchs fell silent. They all looked down at Elenar, while Baneth nervously stood beside her.

"Lady Cynder?" King Horus scoffed. "Do you really think SHE would be of any help here?"

"What's **that** supposed to mean?!" Boreas snarled. "What do you have against her?!"

"I'll tell you EXACTLY what it means." Oceanus scoffed. He turned to glare out amongst the monarchs. "What experience did Cynder of all dragons have about peace-keeping? When she was the very reason the dragon race nearly fell into ruin?"

"King Oceanus..." Urobos muttered, his eye twitching. "I would kindly ask you to quit while you're ahead."

"Are you about to deny your own ancestry, Urobos?" Oceanus turned towards the High King. "Do you really think you can ignore the blood splattered upon your great-great-grandmother's paws?" Oceanus turned and glared directly into Urobos's eyes. "Well ALL know fully well that Cynder was Malefor's servant! Many eggs were DESTROYED in her name!"

"That wasn't her doing!" Boreas howled, drawing the ice king's attention. "Cynder's egg was stolen away and corrupted by Malefor's twisted magic! She had been under his control, until she was freed! Cynder had spent her entire life helping all dragons and preserving out world! She was a hero, Oceanus!"

"You truly believe that fairy tale?" Horus scoffed. "That Cynder was 'corrupted', and she was later 'turned good'? And you think that washed away her sins?" The fire king pointed to a scar on his neck. "I remember when 'Lady Cynder' gave this to me for 'insolence'. I had 'dared' to speak out of turn on a private matter. She tried to force me into bending to her will. I won't forget that, nor will I EVER forget the crimes she committed in Malefor's name."

"You have no right to say such things about her!" Eliza howled. "Nothing but lies, as is typical of a light dragon!"

"And just where do you get THAT idea?" Horus snorted as he looked down his muzzle at the shadow queen.

"Still thy tongue, you abominable fiend." A crimson-red dragoness said from a throne engraved with a beast's eye. She was dressed in animal furs and wore a carnelian crown.

"What did you call me, Phobos?" Horus sneered.

And thus did the arguments commence once again. Baneth and Elenar sighed in defeat, turning to walk away. As they approached, Elza was compelled to extend a wing to her friend. But when the illusions phased right through her, Elza was brought to tears.

"I've grown tired of this endless back and forth!" Boreas howled. He stood up on all fours and glared right into the ice king's eyes.

"Here me now, King Oceanus! From this moment on, I declare WAR against you and your ice dragons. We will hunt you down and slaughter your kind, until every egg we've lost is repaid in full. You will lay on your back and admit defeat for every crime you've committed against the wind dragons."

Oceanus let loose a mighty roar and dug his forepaws into the floor.

"You think you can scare me with threats, you wind-blowing fool?! I say come at us with all you've got. I rill rip the wings from your back and decorate my throne room with them!"

"Friends, please!" High King Urobos pleaded. "You're being far too rash about this!"

"Stay out of this!" The ice and wind king snarled in unison. The high king flinched back at first, but then glared and stomped his own paws.

"Fine, have your war." Urobos snorted. "But know this: neither of you will be permitted within the walls of Warfang. Not until you either both come to your senses, or one of you has fallen in battle. The holy capital will have NO PART in your war."

"We won't stand in this war either!" Queen Eliza shouted. "The shadow dragons have a mission to preserve the Well of Souls, and we won't be dragged down to your level."

"Ha! Do as you will!" King Horus exclaimed. "But I for one am throwing all of my recourses behind King Oceanus!"

High King Urobos's eyes went wide. "Horus, no! This isn't your battle!"

"Isn't it?" The fire king snorted again. "The wind dragons have declared war on my good friend Oceanus. It's only right that I stand by the ice dragons' side and help them!"

"If that's what game you're going to play..." Phobos sneered. "Then I'll stand beside Boreas! I'll teach you all what happens when you dishonor the dark dragons!"

"Phobos, wait!" High King Urobos pleaded. "You're making a mistake!"

One by one, the monarchs of both light and dark announced their declaration of water. Try as he might, the past Urobos couldn't get them to see any more reason. He slumped back in his chair, a forepaw over his chest. Only Eliza looked down at the high king with any sort of pity.

"Well... I guess..." He took a breath. "I guess this ends the last Council of the Monarchs. Just know that your kingdoms will not be allowed to spread your war into Warfang's territory. The Holy Capital MUST stay neutral!"

"So be it." Boreas spat upon the floor in Oceanus's direction.

The monarchs rose from their thrones and went their separate ways. The Guardians and Deep Shadows flinched as the ghostly monarchs phased through them. Seraph in particular looked on in pain as King Oceanus walked obliviously through her. She extended a forepaw out to him, struggling not to cry.

"Father..." She squeaked. She felt Hontus drape a wing over her in pity.

Once the monarchs left, the coliseum began to fade away. The last thing the assembled dragons saw was the visage of High King Urobos slouching in his throne in despair. Once his past self was gone, the current Urobos sat back on his haunches, collecting his composure.

 _"This wasn't too long after Cynder and I passed on_." Spyro said, having been silent all this time. All eyes fell on him as he lifted his head up.

 _"The two of us did the best we could. Neither of us ran away from what happened in the past. We both moved on. That's how we came together as mates. And we devoted our lives to guiding the dragon realms towards enlightenment. I never imagined such animosity spreading amongst the monarchs like this... after we'd gotten to know them so many of them over the years..."_

"If you don't mind me asking, my lord..." Jules cleared his throat. "Why did you pass on when you did."

Spyro looked over to the captain with a forlorn expression.

 _"We... we just couldn't go on forever."_ He said. _"We were longer-lived than most dragons of this age... but we weren't immortal. And after our son Nexius passed on before we did... it became harder to keep on going. We felt like... part of us went with him. So when we felt our bodies starting to fade, we made up our minds to pass on at the same time, so we could rejoin with the world together..."_

"But... your spirit is still here." Seraph frowned.

 _"I know_..." Spyro sighed. _"It's funny how much our world changed all that time ago when we defeated Malefor. I could tell you what became of us after our deaths... but that would go too far off topic._

"Indeed..." Urobos said. "We need to discuss how little Rune plays into all of this."

"Yes, please." Elza said, her wings fluttering.

"It's high time you started explaining." Hontus snorted. "What did all of that bickering amongst the monarchs have to do with Rune?"

 _"In a funny sort of way,"_ Spyro stepped forwards, _"The war is what led to Rune's conception."_

"What do you mean?" Jules asked.

Spyro cleared his throat and sat on his haunches. _"As some of you may recall, the Twilight War lasted roughly eight years. Near the end of the conflict, the dark dragons found themselves on the losing side. As this took place, young Elenar, now the new queen of the shadow dragons, began to form a plan. She feared that the light dragons would stomp allover her people despite them being neutral."_

"What did she do about it?" Seraph asked curiously.

"She came to me." Urobos said, fluttering his wings. "Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday. Elenar travelled to Warfang and proposed an idea: bring all of her people out of the mountains in the north and have them live under my protection in Warfang. At first, it seemed simple and reasonable... until I made the choice to listen to the words of one of my old friends..." Urobos's features drooped. "...Richteriel."

"He's the dragon who named himself the new ruler after the war ended." Jules said. "That's what Elder Telus told me, anyway."

"He was partly right." Urobos sighed. "Back in the day, Richteriel was an earth Guardian, and a close friend of mine... or so I thought. He warned me that the light dragons of the world would have the war on their minds for much longer than Elza and I initially believed. He said we should go into hiding somewhere and wait things out. So, with some outside help, Elza and I called out to all the dark dragons still in the realms, and told them to come into hiding with us, in a floating city called The Hive. But before we left for good, Elenar and my son Baneth came together as mates. And they bore two sons: Rune and Cyrus."

"Seven years after the war ended, The Hive was a great home for the dark dragons. Recourses were tricky to gather, to be sure, but nobody could ever hope to find us. And during our time there, my son Baneth dreamed of the day we'd all return to the dragon realms for good. He wanted to take his rightful place, as the next high king of Warfang. But then..."

Urobos shivered and looked down at the ground.

"What?" Jules asked. "What happened, old man?"

"We were betrayed." Urobos said with a low growl. "On the very night that I was to pass my rulership down to Baneth, we were attacked. Dragons in golden armor invaded The Hive and set fire to everything." Urobos gripped his fangs, his growl growing louder. "So many of my people were killed. I tried to have everyone evacuate as fast as I could. But when I stopped to consult with Elenar, we were ambushed. I tried to buy her time as she ran off to get Rune to safety, but..."

Urobos shut his eyes, trying to fight back tears. "...There was a final explosion that finally took The Hive out of the sky. Everything was... destroyed. Both property... and lives..."

Elza ran up to Urobos and draped a wing over his back. She shut her eyes, whispering something under her breath. Albanion watched the pair, unsure if he should try comforting the old king. Ignitus and Seraph Jules and Hontus exchanged uneasy glances.

Seraph couldn't stand to see the old dragon in such a state. She tried not to cry herself.

"What happened to Elenar?" She finally asked.

"She..." Elza stood upright and took a breath. "She perished. We found her lifeless body the next morning." Elza wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "My best friend for life... and I could do nothing to save her."

Seraph had tried holding a grudge against the wind dragoness because of the fight, and for the trouble surrounding Rune way back in Glenhaven. But after looking upon her miserable face, she finally saw the same pain she had. Loss of a sister. Loss of a loved one...

"Our lord Baneth was never the same after that night." Albanion said. "He lost his father, son, and wife. He only had his boy Cyrus left. Baneth began to obsess over getting revenge against the dragons who wronged our kind. It got to the point where he even neglected to look after Prince Cyrus. Elza and I did the best we could to be the parents that the boy needed..." He frowned. "But evidently it wasn't enough to prevent him from running away."

"But we always had a feeling that Rune and King Urobos survived somehow." Elza said.

"Is that so?" Jules asked curiously.

"When the last of our people dug through the wreckage of The Hive, we searched for bodies. But we never found the bodies of either King Urobos or Prince Rune. Even though they were declared dead, I always had hope they're return again someday..." The wind dragoness looked upon Urobos and smiled. "And I was right! We've had the fortune of finding both Rune, and our lost king!"

Albanion bowed his head. "My king, how did you do it? How did you and Rune survive? And why didn't you come to us sooner?"

Urobos frowned. "First of all, Albanion, I am an king no longer. For better or worse, my son Baneth has taken on the mantle in my absence. As for surviving the wreckage... it was an act of desperation."

"Desperation, eh?" Jules raised an eye ridge.

The old dragon stretched himself out, working a crick out of his back. He then sat down again as the dragons gathered around him.

"I used all of the magical power I had to teleport myself far, far away from The Hive. The amount of power took its toll on my body. I was left weakened, unable to use the simplest of magic for weeks. And when I finally found what was left of the dark dragons... I felt like I failed them."

"Urobos..." Elza said sadly.

"After that, I decided to live out my days as a nomad. I travelled deep into the mushroom forest, intent on studying the ancient ways until my body fully recovered. I had been there ever since... up until my ancestor Spyro contacted me and warned me of an impending crisis."

"Ah, yes." Jules shook his head. "Your son Baneth is preparing to wreak havoc on the dragon realms once the Night of Eternal Darkness hits."

"And that's why Rune and Cyrus are travelling to the Well of Souls." Elza declared. "They want to revive Elenar, thinking she's the only person Baneth will listen to."

 _ **"NO!"**_ Ignitus suddenly shouted. _**"They mustn't go to the Well of Souls!"**_

The Guardians and Deep Shadows looked at the teal dragon incredulously. He had been silent for so long that they nearly forgot he was in the room.

"What do you mean?!" Elza demanded. "Isn't it the only chance we have to stop Baneth?!"

 _ **"Baneth may be a threat, but he is miniscule in comparison to the horrors to be unleashed if Rune and Cyrus succeed in their quest."**_ Ignitus said, stepping forwards with dread in his eyes. Spyro looked upon him with a similar expression, though ghostly.

"King Baneth isn't the biggest threat?" Hontus asked. "Then who is."

Ignitus turned and looked the fire dragon square in the eyes. The teal dragon looked like he didn't want to say what was on his mind. Hontus, Seraph, Jules, Albanion and Elza all focused intently on what The Chronicler had to say.

 _ **"The first thing you five need to understand,"**_ Ignitus said carefully, _**"is that someone's been keeping an eye on Rune... ever since he perished in The Hive."**_

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

You're probably upset by this chapter ending on another of my infamous cliffhangers. I just want to say that I did it intentionally to delay a certain plot revelation. Something that shouldn't be revealed until its most dramatic moment. That's just what good storytelling should be, right?

Stay tuned for next week, when we finally shift back to Rune to see what he's been up to. We'll also see more of Wraith, Lilith, and the six younglings tagging along with them as they finally arrive at the Well of Souls. Stay tuned!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	29. Act 3, Chapter 2

_**Arise, young dragon.**_

Rune was woken up by a cold stinging allover his body. He slowly sat up and blinked away the weariness from his eyes. Rune wrapped his wings tightly around his body as he sat in a patch of snow. Looking down, he saw that his body was midnight-black once again.

 _Where am I...?_ Rune thought worriedly. He looked around, having to squint to see through the sight-blurring winds.

The youngling found himself sitting upon a cliff-side. Spine-shaped mountains were erected all around him in the distance, all covered in a thick blanket of snow. Winds constantly blew against his ear frills, making him shiver. The sky was completely grey as a snowstorm raged violently in the distance.

 _A snowy region? How did I get here?_ He scratched his head with a wing-thumb as he stood upright. _All I remember was that horrible dream. And then I... I used Convexity to teleport away..._

 _ **Rejoice, young dragon.**_ Rune flinched as the voice of The Chronicler surrounded him. _**After weeks of travel, you are now finally a few days' flight away from your final destination.**_

"The Well of Souls?" Rune asked. He looked about at the frozen region, trying to get his bearings. "But... But that would mean I had to have teleported across the northern sea! How did I get here?! I've never been in to this place before!"

Something flashed through Rune's mind. He came to a stop and held his head, groaning. Something ached... but he couldn't remember what. Bits and pieces of stories his grandfather had told him started flooding back.

"These mountains were left uninhabited after the shadow dragons went into hiding after the war..." Rune said, trying to compose himself. "People only come here now to... harvest gems."

 _ **Concentrate, young dragon**_. The Chronicler insisted. _**Reciting old stories about the Shattered Vale won't get you to the Well of Souls.**_

"The Shattered Vale?" Rune repeated in confusion. "I've never heard of that."

 _ **It's... what this land was once called long ago. In an earlier age. But that doesn't matter; hurry on to the Well.**_

"What direction should I travel in?" Rune asked.

 _ **The Well of Souls lies deep within the highest mountain, at the northernmost part of the Vale. Travel to the northwest, and you'll eventually see it behind the endless snowstorm. It should only take you a few days if you fly through the storm.**_

"Alright, Chronicler..."

Rune spread out his wings and took several steps back. But then his entire body was buffeted by the freezing cold. He curled up again, his body shivering allover.

"I can't fly like this." Rune said, his fangs clattering. "I need to make a campfire first."

 _ **A campfire?**_ The Chronicler repeated with agitation. Rune shivered as a strange series of growls and sneers filled his mind. But before Rune could ask what was wrong, the voice quickly snorted. _**Very well. Make your camp, lest you freeze any further.**_

Rune looked down at the valley in search of any place to land. He scanned the area for any trees that might be growing nearby. With luck, he spotted a large oak tree standing near the edge of the valley blow. Taking a breath, Rune called upon a bit of fire magic to keep himself warm. It was just enough for him to spread his wings and glide down into the center of the valley. He floated on up to some of the tree's branches and tore them down with his fangs and talons. Rune arranged his branches in a neat pile, and used his fire breath to start a campfire.

Rune sighed as he traced around the fire. He sat down and curled up a short distance away in the snow, sighing as he let the natural heat warm his scales. As Rune relaxed, his mind began to wander. He thought about the fight that took place the previous night. Glenhaven Guardians were in the camp. Rune frowned as he remembered the snarling and gnashing of fangs as they did battle with the Deep Shadows.

 _ **Is something the matter, young dragon?**_

"Hontus and Seraph were in that camp." Rune said with a sigh.

 _ **Ah, yes, your foster parents. What a surprise to see them so far from Glenhaven.**_

"I guess..." Rune sat back on his haunches. "They came looking for the five of us when we all ran away from home."

 _ **It is a possibility. Maybe they were mournful for your loss... or perhaps they were simply in search of your foster siblings.**_

A bad feeling sank in Rune's gut. "You... you don't think that's true, do you?"

 _ **The only way to know for sure would be to ask them personally, Rune. But now they far behind you. Since you are so close to reviving your blood-mother, you might as well focus on that. Leave the question as to whether your foster parents love you for later.**_

Rune was saddened by the Chronicler's words, but he couldn't deny that he was right. Maybe the young prince was better off waiting to talk to them until this ordeal was over.

Once Rune felt warm again, he stood up and doused his campfire. A few moments later he was flying through the air, heading off towards the Well of Souls...

~~...~~

It was a rough morning when the S.S. Elora finally reached land. The wind blew harshly against Wraith's face as he brought the sailing vessel to a stop at the small fishing dock.

Wraith looked around at the sorry sight before him; A deserted village built along the southern edge of the frozen region. It was a small village, built in a ring-like pattern around an old statue of Lady Cynder. Many of the shacks and houses had fallen apart due to neglect.

Wraith quickly put on a coat of furs when he felt himself shivering. He shook Lilith awake, who wasted no time heading below deck to wake the younglings. This gave the crimson drake time to tie the S.S. Elora with a rope to the dock. He looked beyond the dead village to take in the sights of the mountain range beyond.

The landmass was too small to be a continent, yet too large to be an island. The whole region had many mountains, jutting from the land around the largest mountain in the entire region; the Mountain of Malefor. An eternal snowstorm engulfed everything he saw.

"We're here already?" Someone asked behind him. Wraith turned around to see Cyrus racing up to Wraith's side, a skip in his step. "I thought it would take at least another day or so."

"You're lucky I know what I'm doing when it comes to sailing." Wraith smirked.

Cyrus climbed over the side of the boat and stood with a shiver in the snow. He looked off to the north, his eyes never leaving the distant peaks.

The prince had come a long way. After weeks and weeks of journeying across the northern continent, luck had finally granted Cyrus a fortune. He had all the dragons he'd need to use all eight elements of magic. It wouldn't be much longer now before his mission was complete.

The prince wiped his eye with a paw. The warmth he felt in his chest helped him forget he was shivering in the cold. But he finally snapped out of his focus when Wraith draped a fur-cloth over his back.

"H-Hey..." Cyrus said with a grimace.

"Don't you want to keep warm, my prince?" Wraith raised an eye ridge. "You don't want to resurrect your mother with a cold, do you?"

"No, I guess not..." Cyrus frowned and bundled up on the furs. Wraith chuckled and stepped forwards into the village.

Wraith spent a few minutes inspecting the few buildings that remained intact in the village. He wanted to see if there was anything of use that might have been left behind when the shadow dragons abandoned it. Wraith felt strange about this place. He had never been in this region before... and yet the frozen north was his homeland. As a shadow dragon, Wraith had a heritage here. If only he could have seen this land when it was thriving.

After ending his futile scavenging, Wraith returned to the statue of Lady Cynder. Lilith had gathered all of the younglings from the vessel and lined them up in neat fashion. Cyrus waited obediently, though Tina and that Blankridge boy were twitching and jittering in place.

"When are we going to get moving?" Tina complained. "I'm itching to get flying again!"

"Be patient, dear." Lilith scolded. "We've be flying off soon enough. That goes for you too, Blankridge."

"Fine..." Blankridge grumpily came to a stop.

 _Kids..._ Wraith rolled his eyes and went to join them. He'd worry about feelings of homecoming later.

~~...~~

How long had Rune been flying? A couple of minutes? A few hours? With weather as bad as this, it was hard to tell. But the young dragon knew one thing: he needed to rest again, or he'd simply plummet out of the sky.

After searching for a safe haven from the cold, Rune came upon a small cave at the base of a mountain. It wasn't very big; just a half a head shorter than a fully-grown dragon. But it was still better than being exposed to the elements again.

Rune came to a quick landing and hurried into the cave. He folded his shivering wings up against his body. Just like before, he set up a little campfire and lay down beside it. He took several easy breaths as he relaxed, until his shivers were gone again.

 _If only I had some kind of training for heavy snow_ , Rune sighed. _I almost miss the harsh heat of the desert._

Rune felt a yawn escape his muzzle. His eyes became heavy, as did his wings. The young dragon felt compelled to curl up on the cave floor and lay on his side.

 _I'm getting tired. Maybe a nap wouldn't hurt_. Rune yawned again and shut his eyes. He could feel himself drifting off into slumber. The sounds of the outside world faded away, and Rune slipped into the darkness of his dreams...

 _No!_ Rune quickly snapped out of it. He forced his eyes open and jumped up to his feet. _No no no! I shouldn't go to sleep!_

Rune ran several laps around his campfire, trying to pump adrenaline into his entire body. He then came to a stop and did a few stretching exercises. His breathing grew erratic and his chest hurt, but that didn't stop him.

 _What's wrong, young dragon?_ The Chronicler asked with concern.

"Ever since I left Glenhaven," Rune said as he looked upwards, "I've had the Dreamstone to protect me from nightmares. But the Dreamstone shattered while I was sleeping in that camp, and I had the worst nightmare of my life." Rune twiddled his talons against the cave floor as he breathed nervously again. "What if it gets worse the next time I fall asleep? Who knows what would happen then!"

 _ **I suppose that is something to worry about,**_ The Chronicler said, _**but luckily there is a temporary solution to your problem.**_

"There is?" Rune blinked in surprise. "Do you know how to craft a Dreamstone?"

 _ **Not quite, Rune.**_ The Chronicler chuckled. _**I was instead referring to using your own dark energy to keep yourself awake.**_

"Dark energy?" Rune sat back on his haunches and fluttered his wings with curiosity. "I didn't know I could do that."

 _ **You have the capacity to do it, to be sure. The issue is that it takes quite a bit of practice to pull off. You can use the energy to take the place of sleep to reenergize your physical body. But it's limited by how much magical power you possess.**_

"So it's dangerous?" Rune frowned.

 _ **It can be. But with proper discipline and focus you can maintain the energy just fine. You took the first steps towards harnessing dark energy when you learned how to shadow jump. From there, you should be able to call upon the latent energy hidden in the shadows of the world. Summon it forth, and fill yourself with the dark energy.**_

"I don't know, Chronicler." Rune fluttered his wings nervously. "It does seem rather dangerous. I think I'd be better off being taught how to use dark magic by one of the Deep Shadows before I tried doing it myself."

 _ **Am I not wise in the ways of magic?**_ The Chronicler asked, a layer of irritation present in his voice. _**Have I not been enough of a teacher to you, young dragon? I have guided you this far to the Well of Souls, haven't I?**_

Rune grimaced. He didn't like making The Chronicler angry. But at the young dragon considered what this voice had done for him thus far... he began to wonder something. Why did The Chronicler always come and go as he pleased? Why didn't The Chronicler speak to anyone besides Rune? What did The Chronicler have to gain from Rune reviving his mother?

And what was that hissing noise?

Rune's eyes flew wide open, trickles of fear racing through him. He sprung to his feet and looked around for the hissing. His heart sank when he saw multiple pairs of soulless red eyes rising from the darkness. The Crepsculi had returned.

Some of them were small, like the ones he faced back in Concurrent Skies. Others were much larger. Their bloated bodies were kept in the air by four spindly legs. A single monster was larger than all the others, almost as tall as an adult dragon. It marched forwards with three heads, two on the torso and one on its tail.

All of the Crepsculi, thirteen in all, circled around Rune, ready to attack. The youngling sprang out on all fours, looking all around himself in a panic.

"Wh-Where did they come from?!" Rune shouted.

 _ **The Well of Souls is a beacon that summons forth the spirits of the dead, young dragon! You must fight them back!**_

The creatures all snarled and came charging at him. In a panic, Rune unleashed a blast of lightning at the nearest monster. Rune rushed forwards and struck it to the ground while it twitched in agony. One of the bloated monsters came barreling towards Rune in an attempt to impale him with one of its legs. Rune saw it just in time and scrambled to leap out of the way. The bloated creature swung its leg down just as Rune dodged and accidentally impaled the twitching monster by mistake.

Rune used this time to run back to regroup, but two more of the smaller crepsculi flanked around him to back-attack. Rune hurriedly spun around and leaped to the side as they tried to bite into him. Taking a quick breath, Rune unleashed a burst of flames upon the monsters. They shrieked in rage and fell back, letting the flames burn the ground.

One of the bloated monsters charged through the flames quick as a flash, intent on crushing Rune beneath its girth. Rune braced himself, calling upon his earth magic to augment his strength. It took everything Rune had to keep from being crushed beneath the beast's body. Rune managed to force the creature backwards and against the wall.

As this happened, the three-headed crepsculus charged at Rune from the side and slashed at him with its terrifying claws. Rune was knocked off his feet, and he howled in pain as a large gash was left in his flank. Rune tuck-and-rolled out of the way and backed up against a wall, a wing over his injured flank. He grimaced as he looked at the wound. Rune gritted his fangs as he called upon some water magic to heal himself. But while he was distracted, the rest of the monsters surrounded him on all sided.

"This isn't good." Rune said worriedly. "I... I don't think I can fight them off any longer."

 _ **Then there's no time to lose, young dragon.**_ The Chronicler scolded. _**You've held back long enough. It's time to unleash the full extent of your dark magic.**_

"But..." Rune stammered.

If you don't use the power, you may DIE, young dragon!

Rune hung his head in defeat. "Alright..."

In the little time he had left before the creatures attacked, Rune drew deep within himself. He shut his eyes and called upon the pent up reserves of dark energy within his being. Rune could feel something there... something that frightened him. But it was nothing compared to listening to the gnashing of fangs as the monsters around him prepared to pounce.

But just as the creatures lunged towards him, a blast of purple flames exploded from Rune's maw. It tore through the nearest monster's body, disintegrating it into ashes. The rest of the monsters, caught off-guard, crashed violently into the ground. Rune dashed out of the way, making a break for the other side of the area.

Rune's entire body crackled as purple lightning danced across his scales. He came to a stop at the mouth of the cave and looked back as the black beasts picked themselves up to attack again. Rune took a deep breath and unleashed bolts of lightning upon the monsters in quick succession. The lightning gave a purple glow as it blasted through the nearest creatures. Rune swung his head left and right, sending the monsters flying to all sides.

The rotund monsters managed to leap around the arcs and came clamoring towards Rune like spiders. When they were in range, Rune leaned back and unleashed a powerful earth bomb in their direction. When the first beast landed atop the bomb, the magic exploded, filling the entire cave with a purple light for a few seconds. Rune blinded himself by accident, so he leaped back to quickly wipe his eyes down.

But while he wasn't looking, the largest of the monsters came barreling towards him. Rune tried to turn to dodge out of the way, but was flanked on either side by a few of the smaller creatures. With nowhere to go and seconds to act, Rune dove downwards, vanishing into the void of shadows. The creatures hissed and snarled as they tried to find Rune. This gave the dragon time to slide across the floor of the cave and emerge several feet behind them. But when he was halfway out of the shadow, he saw that he still left a "puddle" of shadowy energy behind, upon which the monsters were focused. This gave Rune an idea.

Summoning forth his magic again, Rune sent several spears of ice through the shadowy pool. They all emerged on the other side, impaling the monsters with purple-tinted ice. The monsters howled in agony, and then broke apart and fell to the floor. The pieces of the creatures melted into shadows, and then nothingness.

And thus Rune was finally alone again, with a deep pant and a rapidly-beating heart. He stumbled forwards, struggling to calm himself down. But the energy wouldn't leave him; he still felt like he was in great danger, like he'd be attacked by yet another crepsculi. Rune was eventually overcome by the energy and he fell over onto the floor all of his limbs shaking out of control.

 _ **Young dragon?**_ The Chronicler asked. _**Are you alright?**_

"I c-c-can't stop sh-sh-shaking!" Rune exclaimed with a stutter. His fangs barely stopped clattering enough for him to speak.

 _ **You have quite a lot of excess energy building within you! You need to burn it off somehow, before it explodes out of your body!**_

The voice sounded enthusiastic... almost excited. Why would The Chronicler take delight in Rune's situation? The young dragon didn't have long to ponder this, as he could feel the energy demanding to be unleashed. Rune thought of several ways to get rid of it in a short time; unleash a fury, shoot random blasts of flames about, scream really loud... when his wings started shaking faster. And that's when it hit him; FLIGHT.

Rune got up onto his paws and raced quickly forwards towards the mouth of the cave. He kicked with all his might against the ground and flapped his wings to go airborne. There was an explosion of magic as Rune went rocketing out into the air. He flew faster than he ever had in all his life. Wind blew harshly against his ear frills as he went hurtling forwards across the valley.

Rune didn't have time to think as he flew; he was hurtling towards the side of a cliff. He had to force himself to steer hard to the left to avoid a collision. And then he had to turn yet again to avoid another cliff wall. With nowhere to go in the valley, Rune tilted skywards and flew high into the air. Once he was over the mountaintops, Rune felt something... compel him to readjust himself in a few short turns. Just as the last of the excessive energy was burned off, Rune was briskly flying forwards towards the highest mountain he saw in the distance.

A moment later, Rune's rationality returned to him. He found himself perfectly awake, and making a comfortable flight towards his final destination. Despite the snow, he didn't feel chilly; perhaps some leftover energy was to blame for that.

"What...?" Rune blinked in surprise. "What happened? What's going on?"

 _ **Did you black out, young dragon?**_ The Chronicler asked. _**You're on your way to the Well of Souls.**_

"Uh... yeah..." Rune nodded nervously. It was so strange having all conscious thought stripped from him. Whenever Rune came into contact with high amounts of magic, he stopped thinking entirely. Granted, so far nothing terrible has happened to him as a result; it's almost been entirely helpful. But how long could he expect that to go on?

It won't be long now. The Chronicler continued. "Just continue on your flight path, and you'll encounter the Well of Souls soon enough."

Rune sighed. "As you wish, Chronicler."

Rune tried to push all other thoughts of the strange magic out of his mind as he continued on his flight to the Well of Souls.

~~...~~

"Alright, this should be far enough!" Wraith called out. "Everyone, come to a landing!"

Wraith led the other dragons out of the sky and down to a small valley in the snow. They had been flying through the air for the better part of the day, and his wings were getting tired.

"Why are we stopping?" Cyrus protested. "We need to keep moving!"

"We may have finally reached the mountains, my prince," Lilith said with a nod, "but we still have quite the distance to travel."

"The Well of Souls is deep within the base of Mount Erebus." Wraith said as he put his pack down. "It's the highest mountain in the entire region. It's still a ways off, so we need to pace ourselves by stopping to rest."

"But what if someone's following us!" Cyrus flapped his wings in agitation. He ran forwards and tried to tug Wraith along by the foreleg. "We might get ambushed by someone if we dawdle for too long!"

Wraith looked down at the prince, quite unamused. He put a forepaw on Cyrus's forehead and gently pushed him off Wraith's sleeve. "Stop that."

"We don't know how far behind our parents are." Nellie said, walking up to the prince. "I agree with Cyrus; we need to keep going."

Wraith looked down incredulously at the icy dragoness. He lifted his head to look out at the other younglings. Cyrus and Nellie looked pretty determined to get a move on. Emerald and Roxanne had bags under their eyes; they waddled this way and that as they tried to stay standing. Tina tried to keep her tough face like she had during the whole adventure. And Blankridge... well, Blankridge was lost in his own little world, looking allover at the mountain range and making googly-eyed faces like a hatchling.

"Hoo boy..." Wraith looked over at Lilith and sighed. "What do you think we should do, partner?"

"Well, perhaps we should keep going for a while longer." Lilith said with a flutter in her wings. Cyrus's eyes started beaming, but the dragoness waved a talon in the air to continue. "Just far enough until we find a suitable spot to rest. Out in the open is no place to sleep when you're in a frozen land."

Wraith sighed and nodded his head. He could feel his eyes getting heavy, and his wings were sore.

"Alright then." The crimson drake faced north again. "We've come this far, so we might as well go a little bit further, right? Let's go kids!"

Wraith and Lilith spread their wings to lead the group once again. The six younglings all leaped into the air to follow them, but then Emerald and Roxanne comically crashed into the snow. The others looked back in surprise (though Blankridge tried to surpress a laugh). Wraith and Lilith flew down to the two dragonesses as they picked themselves up from the snow.

"Oh dear." Lilith frowned. "I think these two are too tired for any more fling."

"Hey, I can still..." Roxanne tried to speak as she flapped her wings again, but she was cut off by a yawn and crashed down again. "...fly."

Emerald stood shivering, even in her furry clothes, as she wiped snow off her spectacles. "It's a miracle I haven't lost these yet."

Lilith looked back and forth between the two and made a "Tsk-tsk" noise. She turned to look back at Wraith. "It looks like we're going to have to carry them for a while."

"Oh, joy..." Wraith groaned. He scooped Roxanne up off her forelegs with a grumble and hoisted her onto his back. He used some of his space magic to lighten the load, but it wasn't enough to prevent him from shifting uncomfortably under Roxanne's weight. By the time he had her draped over his back, Roxanne was already snoring. He sighed and looked back at Lilith. "One's all I can carry, even with my magic. You'll have to get the other one."

Lilith nodded and smiled in response. She carefully lifted Emerald up and onto her own back. Emerald flushed with embarrassment,

"Uh... Thank you, Miss Lilith." Emerald said awkwardly.

"You're quite welcome, dear." Lilith smiled. She then took off to fly, barely slowed down by Emerald's weight. She took off into the air, taking the lead. Wraith was just behind her, trying not to get Roxanne's drool on his furs as he went. The other younglings followed after them. Blankridge made it a point to fly just above Emerald with a grin on his face.

"Having fun, Emmy?" Blankridge asked with a chuckle.

Emerald glared and looked away with a wrinkle of her muzzle. She shut her eyes to go to sleep, while Blankridge could barely contain his laughter.

The eight dragons flew through the snow-cover mountain range for the next hour or so. The mountains seemed to stretch across to both sides of the horizon. As Mount Erebus loomed in the distance to the north, the dragons searched here and there for suitable place to spend the night. Several times they found the abandoned ruins of villages scattered across the frozen lands. What used to be suitable housing was now dismantled chunks of frostbitten rubble.

Eventually, Lilith came upon the only place where they could be protected from the cold; a cave in the side of a small mountain. The cave overlooked a valley with a single tree in it. The mouth of the cave faced the north, with the image of Mount Erebus directly in its line of sight behind some shorter mountains.

The group flew into the cave and came to a landing. Wraith and Lilith carefully took the sleeping Roxanne and Emerald from their backs. The adults but the two sleeping girls on the far side of the cave, away from the cold. Nellie and Tina chose to lay down a short distance away; those two had gotten all the more tired during the flight. Cyrus and Blankridge didn't seem to need sleep at all; the orange drake was pracitally bounding off the walls in his giddiness.

"This is incredible!" Blankridge exclaimed. "Look at those mountains! Check out the snow! This is NOTHING like the desert back home!"

"I'd imagine it's not..." Wraith sat back and covered his ear frills with his forepaws.

"I can't wait to see what's waiting beyond the bend!" Blankridge continued, his tail wagging like a puppy. "I'll bet there's all kinds of beasties hiding in the other caves!"

"Please stop." Wraith whimpered quietly.

Cyrus was restless in a different way. Though he sat in one spot, his eyes never left the distant mountaintop of Mount Erebus.

"Cyrus, come away from the cave mouth." Lilith said as she walked up to him. "You need to get some rest."

"But, what if we sleep for too long?" Cyrus asked. "what if we're too late?"

"Relax, my prince." Lilith brought her head down to look him in the eyes. She gave a reassuring smile. "We still have a few more days left. And we're only going to be resting here for a few hours."

"But-" Cyrus muttered.

"Please, Cyrus..." Lilith draped a wing over his back. "Get some rest."

The prince sighed, not wanting to argue with the kind dragoness. He turned away from the cave-mouth and walked over to where the other younglings were laying down. Wraith had eventually gotten Blankridge to leave him be and get some rest himself. Though the orange drake still had a gleam in his eyes. As Cyrus walked by him, he heard Blankridge whispering under his breath about all the adventures he'd have in the snow. Looking over the young dragonesses, Cyrus saw that Tina was laying on the end, her head turned towards the back of the cave.

Cyrus smiled as he looked at Tina. He took a few steps towards her, thinking about resting beside her. But he didn't get far before Lilith loudly cleared her throat. He nervously glanced behind himself to see Lilith looking down at him.

"And just what do you think you're doing, my prince?" She asked with a raised eye ridge.

"Err..." Cyrus stammered, his eyes darting this way and that. "I was just... um... uh..."

"You were doing what, Cyrus?" Lilith pressed on.

"Uh..." Cyrus nervously pointed to the other side of the cave. "I'm going over there."

"That's what I thought." Lilith nodded.

Cyrus flushed as he walked over to the spot he pointed out, his head bent low. He wasn't sure if Lilith knew he had a crush on her daughter, but he wasn't about to find out. Cyrus briefly glanced back at Tina as she snored away.

 _This sucks_ , he moped as he sat down. _Just once I'd like to..._ Cyrus's face flushed. _By the Ancestors, what's gotten into me?_

The young black dragon curled up in his fur-cloths for a makeshift blanket. He and all the other dragons were sound asleep. Even Blankridge managed to tire himself out. Only Lilith stayed awake. She kept guard at the mouth of the cave, always watching for anything out of the ordinary.

While she stood guard, Lilith glanced back at the sleeping prince, a grin spreading over her face. "It seems I'm going to have to keep a sharper eye on the prince for a while."

~~...~~

When Blankridge woke up, he gave a quick yawn and a flap of his wings before he was running laps around the cave floor. There was a bit of an ache in his back; the furs he slept on weren't quite soft enough.

 _This adventure has been great,_ Blankridge thought as he did another lap, _but I guess I miss my old bed back home... just a little._

After ten laps, Blankridge came to a stop at the mouth of the cave and looked at Lilith. The dragoness had somehow fallen asleep despite standing upright. With a snicker, Blankridge sat down on his haunches and looked up at the dragoness. He took in a deep breath, preparing to wake her up with a loud shout.

"No, wait." Someone whispered.

"Huh?" Blankridge blinked. He looked behind himself to see Cyrus emerging from a shadow. "Oh, hey. When did you get up?"

"Just now, actually." Cyrus grumbled. He stepped out of his shadow and rubbed his eyes. "You woke me up with all your running around.

"I did? Sorry about that." Blankridge chuckled.

"It's fine..." The young prince snorted. He sat down on his haunches at the mouth of the cave. Blankridge watched him curiously.

It was in this moment that Blankridge could really get a good long look at Cyrus. Despite having the same face, Cyrus was significantly shorter than his twin. And he didn't seem to care for his mane the same way. It was so strange to look down at this prince, this familiar stranger.

"Ugh, I can't take it anymore." Cyrus stood up on his feet and stepped a bit out of the cave.

"Hey, where are you going?" Blankridge asked.

"I want to get a bit of a head start." Cyrus stretched his wings out. "I want to find a quick route to the Well of Souls."

"But don't you need the rest of us?" Blankridge grimaced. "You can't bring your mom back by yourself."

"I was going to come back." Cyrus snorted. "I'll only be an hour or two. Maybe."

"Yeah, sure..." Blankridge snorted. "You're definitely not like Rune."

Cyrus blinked in surprise. He looked back up at the orange drake. "What do you mean?"

"Before it was revealed that he was a black dragon, Rune never had any initiative to go on adventures." Blankridge said as he wagged his tail. "He always liked sitting down to read his stuffy books with the girls. So I'd have to drag him away from the library to join me on adventures through Glenhaven."

"Really." Cyrus sat down and clasped his forepaws together.

"Yeah really." Blankridge chuckled. "He'd complain, but I knew part of him had fun. He just pretended he didn't so our Mom wouldn't worry about him.

"Your... Mom...?" Cyrus repeated curiously.

"Hm? Oh, right..." Blankridge chuckled nervously. "You see, Rune was part of our family. He's just as much mine and Nellie's brother as he is yours."

"Oh. Wow..." Cyrus looked forwards and sighed. "I guess I haven't really thought about that. To be honest..." the prince took a quick breath. "I'm still getting used to the idea that he's still alive out there. It's some strange news to adjust to, you know?"

"I guess so..." Blankridge shrugged. "Where Rune is, I hope he's okay."

"Me too..." Cyrus sighed again. He stood up on all fours and spread out his wings. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Blank. But I need to get going on my fly around the mountains."

"Hold on." Blankridge put a talon in the air. "Are you sure you want to go it alone?"

"Are you offering to come with me?" Cyrus asked.

"Oh, not just me..." Blankridge grinned. He turned around and crept quietly over to where Nellie was sleeping. Cyrus watched curiously as Blankridge harshly nudged his sister with his snout.

"Hey Sis, get up." Blankridge whispered as he shook her shoulder. The icy dragoness grumbled as she sat up.

"What is it, Blank?" Nellie asked loudly. She was clearly quite annoyed. "I'm not done sleeping."

"Not so loud, not so loud." Blankridge whispered harshly. He glanced back at Cyrus, who just stood there waiting in awkward silence. Blankridge looked back at Nellie and pulled the furs off of her.

"Hey." Nellie pouted.

"Come on." Blankridge insisted. "His royal highn-arse is making a break for it."

"Heeeey." Cyrus scrunched up his snout. "That wasn't called for."

"Come on, Nells-bells." Blankridge nudged Nellie onto her feet. "Let's follow him."

"Why?" She protested. "Is it even morning yet?"

"This is the perfect time to explore around the mountains." Blankridge's eye beamed. "I don't think I can stand another minute of waiting for these adults to get up and chaperone our adventure again."

"Couldn't you just go alone with him?" Nellie pouted. "Why drag me along?"

"Learn to live a little, Sis." Blankridge chided. "We'll just spend a few hours flying around before we come back." He turned his head around to face Cyrus. "Isn't that right, Cy-?"

Blankridge stopped in surprise as he saw Cyrus gliding out of the cave and into the sky. The orange drake's eyes went wide in shock. "Hey, wait up!"

"Can I go back to sleep now?" Nellie asked quietly.

"Oh, come on, Nellie." Blankridge protested. "Don't leave me to catch up with the princely-prince alone."

The icy dragoness sighed and sat up onto her haunches. "Alright, alright. I'll come along."

Blankridge backed up with a grin as Nellie got up onto all fours. She spent a moment shaking the slumber from her eyes as she quietly stepped forwards towards the cave mouth. Blankridge walked up beside her, his eyes out on the snowy region beyond. Despite the weather, Cyrus's black hide was easy to spot amongst the white snow. He could be seen flying outwards into the valley far below.

"Well, at least we didn't lose him already." Blankridge smiled. "Let's get moving."

"Hey, where are you two going?" Someone asked.

Blankridge and Nellie flinched in surprise. They turned around, expecting either Wraith or Lilith to be looking at them. Instead, the other three dragonesses had woken up. Emerald was the first to stand on her feet, her eyes squinting in Blankridge's direction. Blankridge took a breath of relief.

"Hey, where did Runt go?" Tina asked as she stood up.

"Runt?" Nellie repeated curiously.

"That's Cyrus's nickname." Tina smirked. "And I think it fits."

"Yeah, I guess it does..." Blankridge chuckled. "Though your 'Runt' just flew down into the valley as preparation for doing a fly around the mountains. Nellie and I were just about to catch up with him."

"Are you serious?" Emerald snorted as she put her spectacles on. "Rushing off onto another one of your 'adventures'?"

"Oh, lighten up, Emmy." Blankridge pouted. "We're just following Cyrus around while he explores around the area. Look." He turned and pointed down into the valley. "You can even see him from here. We're not going very far. So what's the harm?"

"Hey, can I come too?" Roxanne asked. The others turned to see her and Tina stepping forwards.

"Why both asking?" Tina chuckled as she nudged Roxanne's side. "Who's gonna stop us from tagging along?"

"Err..." Roxanne flinched away with a light flush of embarrassment.

"Well, the more the merrier I guess." Nellie sighed and looked out of the cave.

"You can't be serious." Emerald pouted. "You're all just going to fly off and leave the adults behind in the cave? What's to stop me from just waking them up right now?"

Tina gave Emerald an unamused look. "Nothing. Go on ahead."

Emerald blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"My mom's sleeping right there." Tina pointed with a talon at Lilith. "Go on, then. Wake her up. Get us in trouble."

" WHAT?" Blankridge exclaimed. He then immediately gasped and clasped a forepaw over his muzzle. Though he looked at Tine incredulously.

"What do you mean 'wake her up'?" Roxanne asked with a whisper. "Do you really want us to get in trouble?"

"If Emerald wants to ruin everyone's fun, I say we let her do it." Tina grinned. "She's CLEARLY smarter and more mature than all of us. And besides, I'm sure she'd have much more fun sitting around in this cave, and the rest of us should follow suit."

"Of course I wouldn't have fun in this cave!" Emerald snapped. "Who could possibly have fun sitting around in here?"

"If that's the case, why do you want us to stay here?" Tina glared. "We were all going to leave this cave in a few hours anyway. No harm in a head start."

Emerald looked between Tina and Lilith with unease. Her eyes were wide, she couldn't say a word. Blankridge eventually sighed and turned around to approach the edge of the cave. Nellie and Roxanne joined him, and they all flapped there wings in preparation for flight. But Tina sat back on her haunches, waiting for some kind of reply or action from emerald.

Emerald felt a terrible feeling in her stomach; the same kind of aching she had every time her friends wanted to rush off into the unknown. All she ever wanted was to be the voice of reason. The one to rein her friends in when they were in way over their heads. But she never accomplished that, did she? Blankridge was always so headstrong that he'd run off into the unknown regardless of the risks. And everyone who went with him always seemed to have a good time. Nellie had fun being with her brother. Rune was determined to go off on a meaningful quest to bring back his mother. And Roxanne was always happy to be part of the group. When the gang was separated from Rune, Emerald wanted to turn back and get help.

But Blankridge and the others rushed off into danger yet again, their minds set on rescuing him. And even after finding out what happened in Warfang, everyone was determined to keep heading north for Rune's sake. They had even joined Rune's blood-brother who was on the same quest. And throughout it all, Emerald had fussed and complained about the danger. Good sense told her that she was in the right; that they were just a bunch of kids in way over their heads. And yet... part of her wanted to have fun on this journey. It was her first time outside of Glenhaven, yet she didn't let herself enjoy it. She was so preoccupied with thinking 'we should turn back', that she never got to appreciate what she saw.

Crossgale, the fishing village, the sights and sounds of Warfang (even if it was taken by dark dragons)... and the frozen remains of the northern lands. How much more would Emerald's fussiness make her miss out on? And even if she was going to get punished by her parents when this was all over... wouldn't she rather have some interesting stories to tell rather than "I sat around and pouted while the others had an adventure"?

Emerald frowned and turned towards the mouth of the cave. She picked up her heels and ran forwards to catch up with her three friends as they lifted off into the air.

"Guys, wait for me!" Emerald called as she leaped forwards and flapped her wings. "I want to come too!"

~~...~~

Cyrus came to a quick landing in the small clearing in the center of the valley. He shivered as his paws touched the deep snow yet again. The snow was so deep that his paws sunk down a few inches, stinging him allover. But despite the cold, Cyrus took a breath of satisfaction and looked around at his surroundings.

He was planning on flying around the mountain tops for an hour or so, but first he wanted to just take the time to let the sights sink in. Cyrus glanced up at the looming Mount Erebus in the distance. The massive landmass made the prince feel like an ant standing before an elephant. Yet in just a few short hours, everyone in his team will venture deep within the mountain and arrive at the Well of Souls.

The more Cyrus about it, the more he wanted to cry. Ever since he discovered the Revival Ritual in that tome Nerona gave him, the prince had dreamed of bringing his mother Elenar back to the living world. And sure, on the surface Cyrus claimed it was all to stop his father from destroying the light dragons once and for all... But Cyrus was still a boy. A boy who longed for his mother's warm embrace. There was a scar left on his heart when his family was torn from him.

 _I'm almost there, mother_. Cyrus wiped his forepaws. _Just wait a little bit longer. Then you and I... and Dad can all be a family again._

Cyrus could feel himself welling up with tears. He thought the pain had gone away years ago... but it seems that certain memories can trigger the worst sort of pain. He walked slowly around in a circle in the valley. He didn't want to get to flying until he worked this out of his system. But alas, the prince found himself daydreaming about one of the few happier memories he had with his family together...

Rune and Cyrus were still very little. Their mother decided it was time for their first bit of combat training. Their whole family was there; Grandpa Urobos, Uncle Albanion, Aunt Elza... and even their father Baneth. Rune had demonstrated his first element; fire. Cyrus tried to do the same, but he could only muster up wind. He was upset, and almost got into a fight with his brother, but Elenar stopped it preemptively by giving him a talk.

"Don't try to rush, Cyrus." Elenar said. "you'll be able to do anything with magic once you're older."

"Anything?" The young Cyrus asked.

"Yes, anything." Elenar smiled.

 _...Anything_. Cyrus repeated as his mind drifted back to the present. _I hope you're right, mother._

Something cold struck Cyrus in the back of the head. He yelped, nearly being knocked over as an icy sting spread across his back. He shook himself down and spun around in an angry fit.

"Who did that?!" He snarled, charging up his magic to counter-attack.

Cyrus blinked in surprise when he saw Blankridge standing across the way from him. The orange drake struggle to hold back a laugh as he held a snowball in his forepaw.

"Did you just..." Cyrus stepped forwards and let his magic fade away. "Did you throw a _snowball_ at me?!"

"Nope..." Blankridge shook his head. He then pointed off to the left. "...but she did!"

"Huh?" Cyrus blinked in confusion. He quizzically turned his head to the left, only to be given a face full of snow. As Cyrus snarled and wiped his face down, he heard a few dragons bursting into fits of laughter. When his eyes were clear again, he saw Tina standing triumphantly across the way.

"Gotcha, Runt!" Tina exclaimed.

Cyrus growled. He reached down and made a snowball of his own. "Oh, you're so going to get it Ti-!"

The prince was cut off when yet another snowball hit him again, this time right on the rear. He howled in surprise and struggled to wipe his flanks down of snow. By the time he was done, Cyrus was livid. He turned back towards the new assailant, only to be surprised by what he saw. Of all the dragons to throw a snowball at him, it was prim and proper Emerald.

The green dragoness seemed just surprised as the prince was, and yet she had snow in her forepaws. She picked up another bundle of snow and worked to shape it.

"I can't believe I'm saying this..." Emerald said, a smile slowly forming on her muzzle. "But that was... fun. I haven't had a good snowball fight in... well, ever!"

"Oh, come on!" Cyrus shouted. "I'm not in the mood for a snowball fight!"

"Then it'll be easier for us!" Tina smirked.

Cyrus growled again. He sat back on his haunches in preparation of throwing his snowball at Emerald. But he blinked in surprise when he saw another snowball hit her in the face before he could.

"Hey!" Emerald shouted. After checking to make sure her spectacles were undamaged, she turned and glared at Blankridge, who was laughing. "What was that for?"

"Sorry, Emmy. It's boys against girls." Blankridge grinned. He winked at Cyrus and reached down for more snow.

Cyrus rolled his eyes. "This game is dumb... but fine, if it'll make you guys happy, I'll play along."

Cyrus turned towards Tina to throw his snowball. But just as he was winding up, he and Blankridge were pelted from behind by more snow, making them yelp in alarm.

"What the-?!" Blankridge spun around to see Roxanne giggling. Nellie was a short distance behind her, sitting on the ground with a concerned expression.

"The boy's team is looking a little outnumbered." Roxanne said as she trotted around them. "Seems like an easy win for the girls."

"What about Nellie, then?" Cyrus asked. He looked back at the blue dragons. "Hey, come join our team."

"Uh... I don't really want to play." Nellie said awkwardly. She had made her way over to a tree to sit down. "Could I just be a referee."

"How come you don't want in, kid?" Tina asked curiously.

"I..." Nellie stammered. sat on her haunches and wrapped her tail around her legs. "I don't really like snow.

"But snow's made of water." Cyrus said incredulously. "Isn't that kind of your _element_?"

"Don't mind her, guys." Blankridge said as he walked around to stand in front of her. "When Nellie was a dragonling, she used to hate taking baths too."

"An ice dragoness that doesn't like water..." Cyrus rolled his eyes again. "What a weirdo."

Blankridge hit Cyrus in the face with a snowball, right on the snout.

"Ow!" The prince shouted as he rubbed his snow. "I thought you said it was boys vs. girls!"

"THAT was for insulting my sister." Blankridge stepped forwards and glared into the prince's eyes. "Don't make fun of her again."

Cyrus flinched back. It was weird seeing the orange drake angry. Glancing back at Emerald's and Roxanne's expressions, it seemed that Blankridge didn't get angry often. Cyrus looked back and gulped.

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry! Sheesh!" Cyrus scrambled to back up. "Just stop looking at me like that."

Blankridge immediately perked up again. "Apology accepted!"

"But we still need the teams to be equally matched." Roxanne said. She walked around the others and approached Nellie, who looked up at her nervously.

"Come on, Nellie." Roxanne said. "Won't you please come play with us?"

"Well..." Nellie said uneasily. "Can I at least be sure the others won't gang up on me?"

"Hey, I've got your back, Sis." Blankridge smiled. "You won't have to worry about getting drowned in snowballs."

"Uh... Yeah." Cyrus said awkwardly. "I'll be... uh, on your side, too?"

Nellie scratched the back of her head with a thumb-talon. "Well... alright. I'll try to have fun with you guys."

~~...~~

For a good while, Blankridge, Cyrus and Nellie played against Emerald, Tina and Roxanne. Snowballs flew allover the place, endlessly pelting the valley allover. The two teams eventually decided to build forts from the snow. Nellie and the boys called theirs Warfang, while the other girls called theirs Faeshrine. Emerald dodged around a few of the boys' attacks and tried to inch closer to their fort.

"Commander Blank," Nellie said playfully, "The forces of the Faeshrine Trading Company are advancing!"

"Defend the city at all costs!" Blankridge declared. He tossed a few rounds of snowballs over the side of the fort. "General Nellie, unleash the icy barrage!"

"Got it!" Nellie giggled. She used her magic to summon up half a dozen snowballs and sent them flying over the side of their fort. Emerald yelped and dodged out of the way in the nick of time.

Cyrus looked back at Blankridge and Nellie with a slightly-amused grin. "You two are silly."

"The city of Warfang will fall to the FTC!" Roxanne shouted as she tossed a snowball Blankridge's way. She turned around and beat her chest. "Unleash the Big Bang Attack!"

"Got it!" Tina snickered. She hefted up a boulder-sized snowball and used all of her strength to send it flying at the boys' fort. Blankridge and Cyrus shouted in surprise and jumped out of the way as the snowboulder came crashing at them.

But before the snowboulder crashed into their fort, it came to a sudden stop in the air. Nellie was glaring at it, using her magic to hold it in place.

"Don't worry, guys." She said as she slowly moved the snowboulder off to the side. "I've got it under cont-"

Nellie suddenly erupted into a fit of giggles. She lost control of the snowboulder, letting it crash into the snow and nicking the side of the fort. Emerald has snuck up on Nellie, and used her tail to tickle the icy dragoness's underside.

"Hey!" Cyrus shouted. "Stop tickling our 'General'."

"This is what she gets for cheating." Emerald said smugly. She backed up and chuckled as Nellie tried to push her away.

"N-Nobody said we couldn't use magic." Nellie said, trying to compose herself. But she shouted in surprise when Emerald chased after her. "Hey, stop tickling me!"

Emerald laughed and chased Nellie around the valley for a moment. Tina and Roxanne couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle. Cyrus couldn't believe what he was seeing. He draped a wing over his face and grumbled.

"Hey, what's wrong, Cy?" Blankridge asked him.

"Why do you all act like this?" Cyrus asked. "Everyone's behaving like... like..."

"Like kids?" Blankridge shrugged. "We just... do, you know? Haven't you ever messed around with friends when you were growing up?"

Cyrus glared at first, but then frowned. He folded his wings against his back and sat down glumly. "Yes... kind of."

"What do you mean by that, Cy?" Blankridge sat down beside him and scratched his chin.

"Well..." Cyrus twiddled his talons. "I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with other kids. I've only ever been able to hang out with two other dragons my age; Tina, and this other guy named Chalice, but I don't talk to him much."

"How come you haven't hung out with other kids much, Cyrus?" Blankridge asked curiously.

"I guess... I've been kept busy." Cyrus sighed. "Ever since The Hive was lost, I was trained in magic night and day for years. I rarely got to be with dragons my age. I was only ever able to hang out with Tina because she's a Deep Shadow's daughter."

"And what about that other kid?" Blankridge asked.

"He's the grandson of Grail, the General of my father's army." Cyrus said. "I haven't talked to him much, so I can't really call him a friend. But Tina..." Cyrus glanced over to where Tina was talking with Emerald as they restructured their fort. A goofy smile spread across Cyrus's face. "She's something special."

"Got a crush on her, do you?" Blankridge smirked.

Cyrus gasped. "N-no! I never said that!"

"Relax, Cy." The orange drake laughed. "I'm only messing around... But do you?"

"Uh..." Cyrus snorted. He looked away and mumbled something in response.

"What?" Blankridge turned an ear frill towards the prince. "What was that? I can't hear you."

"...Yes..." Cyrus whispered. He held a wing over his face. "Don't tell anyone."

Blankridge chuckled again. "Hey, don't worry about it. Your secret's safe with-"

"Guys, look out!" Roxanne shouted.

"Huh?!" Blankridge and Cyrus shouted together. They both looked up to see what she was pointing at.

Several pools of black energy were forming all throughout the valley. Hisses and snarls filled the air as crepsculi emerged from the pools. And one of the pools was right behind Blankridge and Cyrus. They shouted in surprise as several red-eyed creatures emerged beneath their paws. The jumped back and got into fighting stances as the rest of the younglings looked around at the creatures.

"Where did THEY come from?!" Tine exclaimed.

"Let's get out of here!" Emerald shouted. She jumped back as one of the monsters snarled in her direction. "Call for Wraith and Lilith!"

"Hey, the six of us can take them!" Blankridge exclaimed, blowing tiny flames out of his nostrils.

"But we could just as easily-!" Emerald was cut off when one of the monsters lunged at her throat. Without thinking she unleashed an earth bomb at the monster, knocking it backwards several feet. Emerald blinked in surprise and stepped back again. "That was an accident."

"They'll just chase after us if we fly away anyhow." Nellie said. She ran over to stand beside her brother as she called upon her ice magic. "Let's fight them!"

Emerald was about to reply again, but she stopped and sighed. She and the other younglings formed a ring as they prepared for battle. And soon, the valley became filled with bursts of shouting, growling, slashing, and magical explosions.

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

Despite being a little late, I still feel like this was rushed. But I can't help it; I tried to get this done on time, but things tend to come up unexpectedly. I just hope this was up to the usual standards of quality writing for a spyro fanfic. See you next time!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


	30. Act 3, Chapter 3

Rune flew briskly above the mountain range.

The overload of dark energy had long since faded away. He wasn't overly energized anymore, though neither was he tired. It was almost like he had a perfect night's sleep despite staying awake. This meant that Rune could focus on flying all the way to the Well of Souls. He sighed happily, and closed his eyes a bit to enjoy the calmness of the snowy range...

But that silence was broken by the sounds of exploding magic.

"Huh? Rune opened in eyes in surprise. "What was that?"

He looked this way and that, his ear frills wide open to search for the noise. He eventually noticed the noise was coming from one of the valleys between the mountains. It sounded like a pair of dragons were fighting each other... no, a third enemy. A fourth?

"It sounds like some kind of free-for-all is going on over there!" Rune exclaimed. "Chronicler, are you there? I feel like I should check it out!"

 _ **Hold no now, young dragon**_. The Chronicler scolded. _**There are much more pressing matters to attend with than investigating a random-**_

Rune took off towards the valley. He flapped his wings as hard as he could to speed up.

 _ **Blast it, young dragon!**_

Rune swooped down towards the valley, his excitement growing. He didn't even care that he lacked a shroud of darkness. Nor did Rune notice the purple aura starting to surround his body.

~~...~~

"Roxanne, look out!" Blankridge shouted.

Roxanne ducked her head just in time as one of the monster came flying over her head. She quickly spun around and blasted it in the back with an electro-bomb. She then smacked it away with her tail, sending the monster and the bomb flying towards three other creatures. They all exploded in a blast of lightning.

"Whoa, good job!" Cyrus exclaimed. "But keep moving!"

"Got it!" Roxanne dashed off.

Cyrus and the five other younglings did their best to fight off the oncoming crepsculi. They lost track of time, and lost count of how many came after them.

Blankridge unleashed several torrents of flames set the smaller creatures aflame. Despite burning, the monster chased after him with ravenous hunger. He yelped and ran from the creatures, leading them over towards Nellie. She was in the middle of smacking a burly monster away with a head-butt.

"Hey, sis!" Blankridge shouted as he ran towards her. "Think you can help me cool these guys off?!

"Hmm?" Nellie looked his way only to gasp in surprise. Once he had run past her, Nellie unleashed a wave of icy mist upon the monsters. While the flames were put out, the monsters were frozen in place. Nellie was about to charge forwards at the now-frozen beasts, but Blankridge stepped in front of her.

"Thanks, Nells." He chuckled. The orange drake lunged through the air and swung his talons down, slashing through the beasts and shattering them on impact. Blankridge stood triumphantly over the remains while Nellie sighed and turned her attention towards other crepsculi.

Emerald took a more abrupt approach. Over and over she summoned pillars of earth above the monsters' bellies. The larger monsters were overturned, while the smaller ones were sent flying away. While the beasts were airborne, Emerald unleash a barrage of smaller earth bombs to eliminate them one by one. Roxanne stood a short distance away from her, unleashing several bolts of lightning at any beast that came her way.

Roxanne turned this way and that, unleashing her lightning upon each monsters as they came into her view. She dashed erratically around the area, her eyes always on the sky in search of airborne crepsculi. After unleashing her fiftieth lightning-bolt, it soared right between Emerald's horns. The green dragoness yelped and backed away.

"Can't you watch where you're throwing those things?!" Emerald shouted. "You need to concentrate instead of spitting out random lightning bolts!"

"I'm the best I can!" Roxanne snapped, ducking under another beast's lunge. She sucked in a big breath and unleashed several lightning-bolts at the beasts, one by one.

"Well you're going to have to do better!" Emerald summoned another pillar. She shoved away more of the monsters. "When you're fighting against enemies, you have to have discipline! That's what training to be a Guardian is all about."

"And since when was THAT relevant?!" Roxanne snapped.

"You could have been chosen to receive special training back home, but you were always dazed and slacking off." Emerald said as she dodged one of the monsters' attacks. "While you had to move on to basic classes, the REST of us were given the opportunity to move on to something greater."

"Are you kidding me?!" Roxanne shouted after blasting another creature with lightning. "You and were only able to receive Guardian training because your _parents_ are Guardians. You'd never have gotten it if you were low-born, like I am!"

"Where I come from doesn't have ANYTHING to do with my combat prowess." Emerald stuck her snout in the air before summoning more pillars. "See? My magic does all of the talking, Roxanne."

"You are NOT..." Roxanne's magic built up as her rage towards Emerald grew.

"BETTER..." She turned away from the monsters and glared dagger into Emerald's eyes.

"THAN ME!" Roxanne unleashed a lightning-bolt as she screamed. Roxanne's eyes widened in horror, but she was too late to stop her attack. Emerald looked her way just in time for the lightning to strike her in the face, knocking her off her paws.

"EMMY!" Blankridge and Nellie screamed in unison.

Emerald screamed as she was knocked off her paws. She moaned on the snow as electricity danced across her scales before dissipating.

Her spectacles landed a few feet away. As one of the monsters stomped towards Emerald, its fat foot stomped down upon her spectacles, shattering them into pieces. Blankridge charged forwards and rammed right into the big beast's chest, knocking it backwards. He followed up with a furious volleys of slashes and bites. This gave Nellie time to rush up to Emerald and help her up.

All the while, Roxanne stood stunned. She stepped backwards, her body shaking. What had she done?

"What were you THINKING, Roxanne?!" Blankridge exclaimed.

"It... it was an accident." Roxanne stammered. "I... I didn't mean to..."

"Don't you know where to watch where you're shooting magic?!" Blankridge continued, shoving one of the monsters away.

"She distracted me!" Roxanne exclaimed. "Emerald kept distracting me by taunting me!"

"And that makes it okay to hit her in the FACE?!" Blankridge snapped.

"Th-That's not what I meant!" Roxanne whimpered.

"What happened?" Tina asked as she ran over to the others, Cyrus following behind. The pair gasped at Emerald's face.

A long, red wound was on the left side of Emerald's cheek and part of her eye. She winced and whimpered as Nellie created some ice for her face.

"Are you okay, Emerald?" Nellie asked soothingly.

"I... I can't see..." Emerald said, flinching as Nellie applied her healing magic. "Where are my spectacles?"

"Found them!" Blankridge shouted. He then immediately grimaced as he picked up the shattered, mangled wreck that was once Emerald's spectacles. "Uh... they're no good anymore."

"Those were my only pair." Emerald groaned. "I left all my spares back home. I can't fight without them."

"Just hang back." Nellie took Emerald's forepaw and guided her over towards a side of the valley. "The rest of us will do the rest."

"Alright..." Emerald sighed. She winced again as she placed a forepaw over her injured eye.

Nellie made sure Emerald was safely away from the fighting. She then faced forwards to join the others in fighting the monsters again. But on her way, she shot a glare at Roxanne, who shivered and stepped away.

"I didn't mean it, I swear!" Roxanne shouted. "I just... I was angry and..."

Cyrus and Tina had held the fort the whole while. The prince inhaled greatly to unleash many cyclone blasts upon the monsters. The smaller crepsculi were quickly knocked off-balance and sent crashing into the snow. While they were downed, Tina followed-up the attack by launching lightning-bombs over their heads so they'd explode from behind. While it was an effective tactic at first, the fatter crepsculi proved to be able to withstand Cyrus's wind.

"This isn't good." Cyrus sneered. "I can't keep fighting forever."

"Yeah, I'm running low on magic." Tina grimaced. She glanced back at the other younglings. "Think you can lend a paw?"

"I'm doing the best I can!" Blankridge exclaimed as he dodged around one of the monsters. Nellie had her forepaws full just as much as her brother. Not only did she have to defend Emerald, but Roxanne was still in too much of a panicked state to fight. Thus, Nellie had the task of keeping Roxanne unharmed.

"Rox, snap out of it!" Nellie said angrily. "We'll deal with what's happened after we've won."

"This would be a lot easier if Wraith or Lilith were here!" Cyrus exclaimed as he dodged an attack from a spider-like beast.

"Or better yet, both!" Blankridge shouted.

"Well we can't run back to them!" Tina shouted between lightning-bombs. "These creeps would just chase after us."

"And I can't fly if I can't see." Emerald said mournfully. She cupped her forepaws over her eyes. "Oh, just when I was finally starting to enjoy the adventure..."

The younglings fought on, but the creatures just kept coming. They were eventually forced to bunch up in a tight group as the creatures overcame things. Things were looking grim...

But then something plummeted out of the sky and crashed into a landing in the snow. The ground shook, drawing everyone's attention. Even the crepsculi stopped in their tracks.

Cyrus looked at the crash site in surprise. He quickly glanced between the others. "Guys, did you see that?"

"No." Emerald sneered.

"See what?" Blankridge asked curiously.

"Me too." Nellie said. "What was it?"

"I don't know..." Cyrus looked down at the monsters, still distracted by the crash. He grinned. "But I'm gonna find out.

Cyrus called upon his wind magic to once-again knock several of the monsters off their feet. He then quickly leaped forwards to soar over their heads.

"Hey, wait!" Nellie shouted. She spread her wings and followed behind him. "I'm coming too!"

~~...~~

It wasn't a smooth landing for Rune.

He had misjudged just how deep into the mountain side the valley was and nearly collided with a large mound of snow. He rolled over and groaned, his whole body aching from the landing. He temporarily lost most of his hearing; a loud ringing noise went on endlessly in his head. His vision was fuzzy; everything around him looked like a mixture of blurs. It didn't help that the snow was completely white, rendering his vision all but useless. But that didn't stop him from yelping as several of the black blurs hissed at him.

With a gasp, Rune quickly lashed out with his talons and tail at the attacking monsters. When they hissed, he snarled back at them. Rune attacked with a ferocity that he never had before. And as he fought, he didn't see the ever-thickening purple aura on his scales.

"What's that?" Said a barely audible voice.

Rune flinched in surprise. He turned towards his head towards what looked like one of the crepsculi stalking towards him. Rune snarled and pounced upon the beast. When he tried to bite it, he thought the creature yelped.

"Stop!" It yelled.

This caught Rune off-guard, but not enough to stop his attack. The tackled the beast and wrestled it to the ground. The blurry creature was stronger and faster than what he was used to. And it was almost Rune's size, if a bit shorter. Rune and the beast rolled around in the snow together, each one trying to pin the other down. Rune eventually forced the beast onto its back. Rune used his forepaws to pin the monster down. Rune panted heavily, trying to catch his breath after tiring himself out.

Rune's hearing and vision slowly returned to normal. The purple aura vanished, and his fighting spirit went with it. And Rune found himself pinning down a very surprised black dragon.

"Rune...?" The stranger asked.

Rune's eyes widened in confusion. He got off the other dragon's body and stepped back. Rune felt like he was looking in a mirror... And then, it hit him.

"...Cyrus?" Rune asked.

Rune and Cyrus looked at each other. Neither one could barely believe it. As they looked into each other's eyes, memories of their childhood came flooding back to the surface. Rune opened his muzzle to say something, only to be cut off by a familiar voice.

"Rune!" Rune turned his head in time to see a blue dragoness run up and tackle him into a hug. "We've been worried sick about you!"

Rune groaned as he was nearly knocked off his paws. "Nellie?! What are you doing here?!"

"Hey!" A voice shouted across the way. "We could use some help over here!"

Rune turned his gaze towards the other end of the valley. He was taken aback at the sight of Blankridge, Roxanne, Emerald, and some other dragoness he didn't know. A swarm of crepsculi surrounded them, though most of them had their beady eyes turned towards Rune.

 _You can't be serious!_ Rune's eyes widened as he pulled away from Nellie. Rune spread out his limbs and prepared to charge at the creatures. _I'll ask how they got here after I save them._

"Nellie, step back." Rune said, stretching out his wings before her. "Leave this to me."

"Seriously?" Nellie asked incredulously. "That's the first thing you're going to say to me after see us again? And since when have you told me not to fight?"

"There's too many of them, Nellie." Rune said with a shake of his head. "I want you to stay back while you're farther away from the beasts.

Nellie pouted. She sat back on her haunches and looked away. 'Fine."

Rune frowned at her reaction, but there wasn't time to apologize. He spun around to dash off towards the others. As Rune ran forwards, Cyrus gasped and ran just behind him. "H-Hey, wait up!"

Blankridge was using his flames against another batch of monsters when he saw Rune charging into the fight. The orange drake gasped in delight and pointed towards him.

"Rune!" He shouted in joy. "Rune's here!"

"Rune?!" Roxanne gasped. Her heart leaped into her throat.

"Cys' brother?" Tina asked curiously.

"Where?" Emerald struggled to look around. "I can't see him."

"Don' fight them all with the same attacks over and over!" Rune shouted to them. "They'll just combine into a bigger monster that's immune to the element you used."

Blankridge exchanged a curious glance with Tina, who shrugged and turned back at the monsters. The pair started slashing at the monsters with their talons. Roxanne, finally snapping out of her funk, joined in the fight.

Rune came to a stop a short distance away from the beasts and reached into himself for magic power. That's when he noticed Cyrus coming to a stop beside him.

"What are you doing?" Rune asked.

"Brother..." Cyrus said, not quite used to saying that again after such a long time. "Let me fight with you."

Rune wasn't sure what to say. There was so much that needed to be said, but this wasn't the time or place. With a sigh, Rune turned to focus on the monsters. He would have his reunion later.

"Here, let me help you!" Cyrus declared. He stepped before Rune as several spider-like monsters crawled towards them. Cyrus inhaled a breath of air before unleashing a cloud of blackish-green mist before the beasts. The monsters hissed as the mist overcame them. Their legs glowed a dark green before decaying and withering allover.

 _Of course, poison magic_. Rune nodded. Then an idea came to him. Taking in a puff of air of his own, Rune spat out a small burst of fire. Once it connected with the cloud of poison, the whole thing went up in flames. The monsters screeched wildly as the flames burned them alive. They helplessly scrambled to roll around in the snow, but all this served to do was melt the snow and burn the grass laying beneath. The monsters eventually stopped flailing and melted into darkness.

After this, several larger crepsculi turned to charge at the black dragons. The beasts' scales were as thick as plate armor. When they got close, Cyrus unleashed a screeching wail of Fear magic, sending shockwaves through them. The beasts howled and moaned as they stood in place, trying to shrug off the magic. This gave Rune time to dash around them and freeze them in place with an icy mist. Rune followed this up by augmenting his strength with earth magic and ramming into the beasts with his horns. There was a sickening cracking sound in the air as the monsters' armor shattered into pieces. They wailed in agony before falling over onto the ground and melting away.

A big, multi-headed crepsculi crawled out of the ground behind Rune and Cyrus. They gasped and quickly spun around before it got the drop on them. They dodged around its sides as it came charging forwards at them. It crashed into half a dozen smaller crepsculi, knocking them skywards. Rune used the opportunity to launch a lightning-bomb high into the air. As the lightning exploded, Cyrus created a shadowy pool beneath the multi-headed beast. He followed this up with a burst of wind magic, which went through a portal beneath his own feet and bursting out beneath the monster in the form of a mighty cyclone. The force was just enough to lift the beast into the blast radius of the lightning, shocking it allover. All of the crepsculi came crashing back to the ground, in time for the black dragons to slash at their shocked bodies with their talons.

Despite the young dragons' best efforts, more of the crepsculi just kept crawling out of pools of darkness. So Rune and Cyrus continued to fight on, until they felt adrenaline flowing through their veins. Their heats beat like drums as their magic overloaded their beings.

"I can't hold back much longer..." Cyrus said as he panted. He looked around as more of the creatures surrounded them. "I think I'm gonna..."

"Use a fury?" Rune asked, quickly spinning around to face him. "Me too. Let's use them together."

Rune and Cyrus faced away from each other, their eyes on the encroaching monsters. Their eyes glowed white at the same time as they unleashed the full scope of their magic.

Four magical orbs appeared before Rune; burning fire, freezing ice, crackling lightning and rumbling earth. They orbited around Rune's body as their light filled the air. Cyrus had four orbs of his own; blowing wind, infectious poison, misty shadow, and whispering fear.

As the horde of crepsculi approach, the two princes were surrounded by powerful auras; Rune was engulfed in white light, while Cyrus was hidden in shadowy darkness. The eight orbs spun faster and faster around the black dragons, the heat of the magic melting away the snow.

The other younglings watched in awe. Nellie in particular had to quickly back up as the crepsculi moved to surround the two princes.

"What's happening?!" Emerald exclaimed.

"They're doing something freaky with their magic!" Tina exclaimed.

"That doesn't help..." The green dragoness muttered.

The magical orbs suddenly flew into their chests, causing their bodies to glow even more. The creatures around them shrieked and leaped forwards to attack all at once to the horror of the younglings. But just before the beasts' talons could connect, there came a great explosion. Blasts of white and black exploded forwards from Rune and Cyrus respectively. The two blasts were independent of each other at first as their magic tore through the beasts. But before long, their energies came into contact with one another. ripples of black and white pieced through each other, until they blended together to become a single force of energy. The energy changed to a bright purple hue, which spread outwards in rippling waves.

The purple energy filled the entire valley in the aftershock. The nearby mountains shook, sending all the younglings toppling to the ground.

"By Ancestors, what was that?!" Emerald shrieked as she fell forwards. "I can't take this anymore!"

The purple light eventually faded away, restoring peace to the valley. There wasn't a single trace of the crepsculi; neither hide nor whisper. Rune and Cyrus were left in the center of a circle of dead grass. They collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.

Roxanne was the first to run over to the princes. Nellie came next, followed by Tina. Blankridge stayed behind to help Emerald step slowly forwards.

"What was all of that?" Tina asked. "And how did you two do it?"

"Haven't you..." Rune struggled to say. He tried to stand up, but collapsed. "Haven't you seen a fury before?"

Roxanne rushed to Rune's side to help him stand up on his feet. Once he was standing, Rune took a few moments to take a breath of air. After catching his breath, he looked at Roxanne, who's eyes beamed. She put her head beneath his to nuzzle him. Rune flushed a bit and smiled. He folded a wing over her back to hug her.

"We were so worried about you, Rune." She said, shaking a bit. "We didn't know what became of you after we lost track of you down south."

"Well, I'm here now." Rune replied. "I can't believe you all continued travelling north."

"Rune..." Cyrus said. Rune looked away from Roxanne and at his brother, whom Tina had helped stand on his feet. Rune carefully broke his Roxanne's hug to walk forwards and focus on the other black dragon.

Once again, the two princes looked each other over. Without monsters to worry about dealing with, Rune and Cyrus could finally grasp the reality of their position. Cyrus was the first to have tears fall from his eyes, but wasn't alone.

"I... I just can't believe it..." Cyrus said, choked up. "Rune, you're... you're alive!"

"Cyrus..." Rune felt a strange feeling, like he was happy and sad at the same time. He wasn't sure what to say or do. Luckily Cyrus acted for him; he rushed forwards and tackled his brother to the ground in a big hug.

"I thought you were gone for so long..." Cyrus said as he cried into his brother's shoulder. "And then you just drop out of the sky right in front of me!"

"I... I'm sorry?" Rune stammered awkwardly.

"That's all you have to say?" Cyrus asked incredulously. "How can you just... I mean, you can't just..." He shut his eyes, trying to hold back his tears. "Rune... I missed you."

Rune shut his eyes. There was still quite a bit the prince couldn't remember about his past. But as his brother hugged him, Rune felt something stir within him. Dormant feelings of kinship with his brother returned to the surface. Fragments of memories, good times and bad flowed through his mind. Rune held his brother closer. He'd never let himself forget his blood-brother for as long as he lived.

"So, this is Prince Rune?" Tina asked, stepping forwards.

Rune and Cyrus leg go of their hug and stood up tall to look at Tine and the other younglings.

"Yes, I am." Rune said to her as he folded his wings in. "And you are?"

"This is Tina." Cyrus said. "She's a friend I made a few years back."

"Oh." Rune smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you." Tina leaned her head in closer, one eye shut and another eye open wide. Rune shifted awkwardly as the dark-yellow dragoness inspected his face. "Uh..."

"Wow, you DO look a lot like Cyrus!" She exclaimed. "The eyes are the wrong color, though." She extended a forepaw to shake with him. "Pleased to finally meetcha, Rune."

"Uh, yeah..." Rune awkwardly shook her forepaw.

Once he let go, he turned to look at his friends. Nellie and Roxanne seemed happy to have him back. But when he looked at Blankridge and Emerald, Rune was shocked to see the wound on her face.

"By the Ancestors!" Rune ran up to Emerald. "Emmy, what happened to you?!"

"Rune?! You're back!" Emerald's face perked up a bit, but then flinched as her face ached. "To answer your question..." Emerald glared vaguely in the direction of where Roxanne stood. "SHE happened."

"What?" Rune glanced back at Roxanne, who bit her muzzle and stared down at her paws. "Roxy, what's she talking about?"

"Roxanne hit me in the face with a lightning bolt!" Emerald snapped. "The idiot didn't look where she was shooting the blasted thing and broke my spectacles!"

"What?!" Rune backed up. "No way! That doesn't sound like Roxanne at all!"

"But it's true." Blankridge said as he glared over at Roxanne. "Emmy was struck right across the left side of her head."

"I swear, it was an accident!" Roxanne stamped her paws. "Why won't any of you believe me?!"

"Guys, that's enough!" Cyrus shouted. "I feel bad that Emerald got hurt on the cross-fire, but we need to get a move on."

"Hey, Emerald..." Nellie said as she fanned out her wings. "Can you see where I'm standing?"

"I think so..." Emerald turned towards her. "Why?"

Nellie flapped her wings and lifted herself up into the air. "I'll guide you back to the cave. Just follow close behind me. Okay?"

"Well, alright..." Emerald sighed as she flapped her own wings. "I'll try my best."

"I'll fly beneath you." Tina said with a grin. "That way, if you fall out of the sky, I'll catch you on my back."

"Uh... thanks, I guess." Emerald said awkwardly.

Nellie, Emerald and Tina were soon flying upwards through the air. They went slowly so Emerald could make it safely towards the cave without crashing into the anything. On the ground, Blankridge shot Roxanne a glare before flapping his own wings to follow after them. And across from them, Rune tapped Cyrus on the shoulder.

"Cyrus, can I talk to you for a minute?" Rune asked.

"Sure, Rune." Cyrus smiled. "What about?"

He glanced over at the others as they crowded around Emerald. Once he was sure they weren't paying attention, Rune stepped a bit closer to whisper into Cyrus's ear frill. "Let's step a distance away so we can talk alone."

"Alright." Cyrus shrugged. Cyrus followed his brother across the way. Rune stood at the base of a tree and looked back at the other prince.

"Just wait until Wraith and Lilith find out you're here." Cyrus's eyes beamed. "Wraith is going to flip his lid!"

"Wraith?" Rune repeated curiously.

"You don't remember our magic tutor?" Cyrus frowned.

"Well, here's the thing about remembering..." Rune spent a few minutes summarizing how his life had gone for the last six years. He explained how he had lost his memory and was steadily remembering certain things over time. Cyrus grimaced with deep concern as Rune explained his nightmares. Rune brought his explanation to an end by talking about his adventure towards the Well of Souls.

"...And that's when I used a crystal to teleport away." Rune finished saying. "I woke up in the middle of this frozen region, and was making my way towards the Well of Souls when I heard the struggle in this valley. And here I am."

Cyrus was stunned. It was a lot of information for him to take in. He sat down on his haunches and scratched his chin.

"So... you were trying to find me this whole time?" Cyrus asked.

"Yes." Rune smiled. "I learned about the Revival Ritual, just like you did. I wasn't sure if I would be able to find you. But now that I'm here, I want to help you." Rune fluttered his wings as he pointed towards the sky with a talon. "I have the four light elements, and you've got the dark ones. If we work together, we can revive our Mother."

Cyrus gasped. His eyes lit up with determination, and he turned towards the north.

"Well, I definitely accept your offer of help..." Cyrus grinned as he flapped his wings. "Let's go."

"What?" Rune asked in surprise. "You want to go find the Well of Souls NOW?"

"Why not?" Cyrus asked as he stepped out into the clearing. "We're running out of time before the Night of Eternal Darkness arrives. And if we're in this together, why not get it done as soon as possible."

"But what about everyone else?" Rune stepped after him. "We can't just leave them behind, can we?"

Cyrus frowned. "Well...here's the way I see it..." He turned back around. "We're not too far from the Well of Souls. If Wraith and Lilith need to find us, they can simply come along with the other guys to the mountain. Then we can be grouped up again, and Mother will be revived all the sooner!"

"Well, okay..." Rune sighed. He turned to stand across from his brother to extend his wings.

"Hold it right there, Rune!" Roxanne shouted.

Rune looked back in surprise as the yellow dragoness came running up towards him.

"You're not thinking of running off on your own after you JUST got back, are you?" Roxanne glared and stamped her paw.

"Roxanne, I need to go with my brother to the Well of Souls." Rune said. "It's what we've been questing for all this time, after all."

"Well, not without me you aren't." Roxanne stamped her foot. "I'm coming with you."

"And why do you wanna come so bad?" Cyrus asked, an eye ridge raised. "You're not afraid we'll get HURT out there, are you?"

"Hey!" Roxanne snapped. "I didn't mean to hurt Emerald! It's just... it was an accident! She made me mad and I lost control of my magic. But none of those three are willing to let me get a word in edgewise, so I'd rather not bother trying to talk to them for now."

Rune sighed. He glanced up the mountainside where the other dragons were guiding Emerald through the air. Maybe if he could have arrived just a few moments sooner, the incident could have been prevented. But it's too late to fix that, and he'd rather not leave Roxanne alone while the others are frustrated with her...

"Okay." Rune said. "You can come along, Roxy."

Roxanne's expression weakened. She stepped forwards and nuzzled his shoulder. "Thank you. And it really is great to have you back, Rune."

Cyrus snickered. "You didn't tell me you were my brother's girlfriend, Roxanne."

"Oh, shut it." Roxanne stuck her tongue. Cyrus laughed, while Rune looked away with a flush on his face.

"Let's not waste any more time." Rune said. "We have to get going, Roxanne. The Well of Souls awaits us."

"Right..." Roxanne backed up.

It wasn't long before Rune, Cyrus and Roxanne were flying up the side of the mountain and silently flying towards the Well of Souls...

~~...~~

 _ **That same morning, a few hours ago...**_

Bane woke up to the sound of ever-pounding rain over the city of Warfang. A headache stung him in the back of the head. He moaned as he sat up from his bed, stretching out his back to get the crick out. Bane grumbled to himself as he approached his mirror to prepare himself for another day.

Bane looked himself closely in the mirror. Sleep did little to rid the rings around his eyes. His beard and mane were disheveled from night after night of staying up well into the hours of the morning. Weeks of keeping himself energizes with convexity were taking a toll on his body; his ribs were visible despite the muscles on his chest, and his once-shimmering glyph marks were faded. When had the black king allowed himself to wane in physicality? Had preparing for the Night of Eternal Darkness really taken greater priority than his own health?

 _Perhaps it is time that I take just one day off from keeping the army on standby_. Bane sighed. _I should take a walk, take in some fresh air._

After spending some time bathing and straightening out his mane and beard, the black king began his walk through the Dragon Spire

As Bane made his way through the spire, time and again he'd pass by some of his dark dragon followers as they performed their varying duties to maintain the tower. Whenever they saw him, they'd gasp and quickly bow their heads. Bane could look into their eyes to see their true feelings. They didn't bow out of respect or admiration, but fear. Bane didn't respond to them, instead walking forwards with his usual stoic face. He didn't show them his disappointment.

 _I remember when I walked with my father through these halls,_ Bane sighed. _Oh how they people loved him. I used to dream of being in his place when I was but a youngling._

Bane looked down a familiar hallway. It was built along the outer rim of the Dragon Spire, and had countless wide windows built around the side. Bane looked back on a bright morning he had long ago.

King Urobos and little prince Baneth were walking down that hallway, greeting some new students who came to learn from Lord Spyro and his Guardians. It was a bright day, with so much light streaming through to illuminate the dragons' scales. It was on that day when Baneth met a particular student: A boy named Albanion, who dreamed of being a Guardian. Baneth and Albanion grew to be fast friends after that day. That hallway held a small, yet important place in their hearts. The place they each gained a brother.

Now look at it. The hall was cold and empty. The windows were badly damaged in the initial raid on Warfang. An endless rainstorm raged on outside the windows, and the sky was an endless, dull grey.

 _This storm won't go on forever,_ Bane told himself. _Some day soon, once the light dragons have been dealt with for good, then the sunny days may return. I'll rebuild the dragon realms as a grand world for the dark dragons to live, and my sons shall be its rulers after I'm gone._

Bane put on a triumphant smile. He stood up tall and filled his mind with images of Rune and Cyrus as the kings of a new world... But they didn't last long. Bane's mind turned back towards his subjects, who still looked on the black dragons with fear. And even as kings, neither Rune nor Cyrus seemed pleased. They looked on their father with anger; a dragon who had warped and twisted a world they loved, leaving them to pick up the pieces. Neither of them wanted this world, and they'd never forgive Bane for what he'd done.

 _BAH!_ Bane snarled. _Stop thinking like that, Baneth! It won't be like that! It CAN'T be like that!_

Bane's nostrils fumed. He spun around and smashed a nearby vase on a pedestal along the wall. But as the king destroyed the vase, he heard someone yelp behind him. Surprised, Bane whirled around to face the stranger, only to see the elderly Icarox standing on the other side of the hall.

"Are you alright, my lord?" The dragoness asked curiously.

"I..." Bane took a few breaths to calm himself down. "I'm fine, Icarox. I'm just..." He used his earth element to pick up the pieces of the vase and combine them back together on the pedestal. "I'm just venting for a bit."

"You've been quite on edge lately, my king." The voice of Argos said from the other side of the hallway. Bane turned to see the Icarox's twin approach and kneel. "What troubles you, milord?"

"I guess I'm feeling rather stressed, Argos." Bane sighed. "I've been so busy preparing for the coming Eternal Darkness, that I've yet to stop and... appreciate what I've done for Warfang."

"Ah, of course." Argos nodded. "Well, might I recommend you take some time to enjoy a hearty breakfast one of the dining rooms? You've yet to treat yourself since we've reclaimed Warfang."

"A breakfast... of course." Bane gave a partial smile. "That would do me well. And go bring Rune to me; I wish to spend more time with my son."

"As you command, my lord." Argos bowed again. He turned around and shadow-jumped away to The Nexus."

"Yes. Well then... "Bane turned back around to face Icarox. "Lead me to the finest dining hall in the Spire."

"Yes, my liege. Right this way."

~~...~~

The dining room was but a single shadow-jump away. It was a long room, with an elegant wooden table and many fine cushions. The windows were all blocked off by curtains that matched the four colors of the light elements. When Bane and Icarox appeared, they found a few servants straightening up the dining room. They were surprised to see the black king step before thing.

"M-My lord!" A wind dragoness exclaimed, immediately bowing before him. "How may I be of service?"

"I'm here for a meal with my son." Bane said. "Bring two platters of steak and slices of whatever fruit is available."

"Yes, my liege. Right away!" The servant rushed off. Bane sighed and sat down at the head of the table. He wracked his talons on the wood as he waited.

"Ah." Said a pleased voice from behind. "It's not often that I see you dining with the rest of us, my king."

Bane sighed. He turned to see Nerona stepping through the doors. She and Rose had walked through the doors and were taking seats on either side of the black king.

"Nerona, Rose, what brings you here at this time?" Bane asked.

"We could ask the same of you, my lord." Rose said quietly. "The Deep Shadows have made it a habit to share a breakfast every morning in this room since we arrived in Warfang."

"Is that so?" Bane asked. "It would have done me well to know that a few moments earlier. I've already ordered breakfast for myself and my son."

"It's quite alright, my liege." Nerona said as she bowed to him. "If you wish to be alone to share breakfast with the prince, we can leave here."

"No." Bane shook his head. "You've gone through the trouble of coming here. So you might as well dine with us."

Nerona smiled before sitting down a few chairs down from the king. Rose looked at Bane curiously before going to sit beside the shadowy dragoness. It wasn't long before the servant dragoness arrived with two platters of food.

"Here you are, my king." The servant said. She set the platters down on the table and bowed her head. "Two servings of the finest steak that Warfang can provide. And it comes with a side of Bufaha Apples, recently imported from Avalar... well, prior to the reclaiming of Warfang, that is."

"Indeed..." Bane raised an eye ridge. "Go attend to my Deep Shadows now."

"As you wish, my king." The servant turned around and bowed to Nerona and Rose in turn. As they chatted with the servant about their own meals, Bane looked over his paltry plate.

The steaks were rather small, and seemed hardly chewable. The slices of apple were a bright blue in color; they smelled as though they were freshly plucked from the tree. But whatever the appearance, just looking at the platter made Bane realize he hadn't really taken the time to enjoy any meals in the recent years, even before his planning began.

Bane was once again reminded of his time as a youngling. King Urobos used to always welcome many people to join him at the table. Every meal was a feast to be shared, he always said. Bane could still hear the eager chatter of all who joined the king; Guardians, students, other monarchs, and even Spyro and Cynder themselves on occasion. Bane saw himself at the table, laughing along as the two heroes recalled their earlier adventures. How they and Urobos filled the young prince's mind with dreams of his own world-spanning journeys...

And then the black king opened his eyes, and he sat in the large, cold dining room. Nerona and Rose were silent as they waited for their breakfast. The king sighed and looked down at his plate. Was this a way to share a morning with his son? Would all of their mornings in Warfang be this dreary? Bane would have to change that. He'd find some way to make things up to Rune, especially after they last spoke on such sour terms.

Bane waited a moment for Argos to return with Rune. He'd at least like to start off by sharing a meal with his son. But as time went on, Argos hadn't returned yet. The servant dragoness even had time to bring platters to Nerona and Rose, and Argos still hadn't arrived with Rune.

 _Where are they?_ Bane wondered.

Bane didn't have time to ponder this thought as the doors to the dining room were pushed open again. Bane looked back in time to see General Grail stepping through the doors. Grail's eye widened at the sight of the king.

"Your Highness!" Grail exclaimed.

"Grail." Bane nodded. "Come to join us for breakfast?"

The General grinned as he stepped forwards. "Actually, I was only going stop here for a brief moment before looking for you, sire. This will speed things up quite nicely."

"What do you need?" Bane asked. "You'll need to make it quick and simple: I've decided to take the time to relax so I can spend time with my son."

"Very well, my king." Grail saluted. "But I have to tell you some news; Albanion, Elza and Aegis have gone missing."

Bane blinked in surprise. "What?"

Grail spent a few minutes recounting his last encounter with Aegis, and how the artificial dark dragon was commandeering a carriage. Bane sneered and scratched at his beard in thought. What would Aegis want with such a vessel?

"...At first I thought this wasn't a high-priority, my king," Grail continued, "But I can't help but notice I haven't seen hide nor mane of Albanion or Elza either."

Bane bit his lower lip. Now that he took the time to think it over, he hasn't spoken with any of that trio since the night he spoke with Rune. Where could they have gone in all this time?

"Rose! Nerona!" Bane exclaimed. He turned back towards them, and the two dragonesses stood up to salute. "Have either of you seen Albanion, Elza or Aegis around Warfang?"

"I can't say that I have, sire." Rose frowned. "I've been busy focusing on preparations for that new school you ordered for the younglings."

"And I've been gathering all the life gems in Warfang to use when the Eternal Night arrives." Nerona added, stretching out her wings.

The king growled. He clutched his beard again and glared down at the floor. Had the trio really left Warfang without reporting in? Didn't Bane tell them not to venture to the Well of Souls after spending so much time travelling. Were they really that insistent on searching that dreadful place for Cyrus?

"This is rather suspicious." Bane said. "The last thing any of us needs right now is to have to put a search out for those three."

"What are we to do then, sire?" Grail asked.

"It's quite simple, Grail; I'll contact them directly."

Bane stepped away form the table and fanned out his wings. He reached inside himself to call forth his convexity magic. He drew an orb of shadows from his chest and held it before himself. The king focused on the orb, and it shifted and stretched to take the shape of a mirror.

"Albanion!" Bane called into the mirror. "Your king summons you!"

Bane waited for the usual visage of the poison dragon. He waited and waited... but nothing happened. All the king saw was darkness.

"Albanion, speak to me!" Bane shouted into the mirror. No response came; not even a whisper. After waiting in silence for nearly a full minute, the king grew unnerved. "Albanion, where are you?!"

This didn't make any sense. With the power of Convexity, Bane should have been able to get into contact with any of his Deep Shadows. No matter where they were in the whole dragon realms, Bane had a direct link to them. So why did he get nothing but silence? Why couldn't he reach Albanion?

"This cannot be." Bane snarled. His body briefly crackled with purple lightning. "I can't reach them!"

Grail, Rose and Nerona all took a few steps back. The king snarled and slashed at the useless mirror with his talons, destroying it. He stomped across to the other side of the room, his breath growing erratic. Bane wasn't sure what he'd do next. He glanced about at the furniture in the dining room, partially contemplating the merits of destroying them. A pool of shadows appeared at his paws. The handle of a black sword started to rise up.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" The voice of Argos screamed.

Bane blinked in surprise, his anger dying in an instant. He spun around, his sword vanishing into the darkness. The king saw the old dragon stumbling forwards like a mad-drake towards the king.

"Your Highness, it's horrible!" Argos knelt down at the king's feet, his eyes tearing up. "I'm sorry! I don't know how it happened! I'm sorry!"

"What's gotten into him?" Nerona snorted.

"Wait a minute!" Bane shouted. "Calm down, Argos. Take your time and explain what you're blubbering about."

Argos picked himself up and looked Bane right in the eyes. "Prince Rune is gone!"

Bane's eyes went wide, and his throat choked up. "...What?"

"The prince wasn't in his room when we went to find him!" Argos shouted. "We searched the whole fortress for him, but we couldn't find him! Prince Rune is GONE!"

The revelation hit Bane like one of Richteriel's boulders. The whole room started to spin. He collapsed backwards onto the floor. Everyone in the room gasped and rushed to help the king as his heartbeat went mad.

"My liege!" Rose yelled in alarm, lifting up his head. "Are you alright?!"

"They took him..." The king whispered.

"What, My lord?" Nerona asked, a forepaw held up to her ear frill curiously.

"Albanion, Elza, and Aegis..." The stammered as he struggled to stand up again. His legs wobbled as he took several steps towards the doors. "They took Rune and fled the city... That's why they took that carriage."

Grail, Rose, and Nerona all exchanged glances. Each one had different emotions. Rose was confused, Nerona was horrified... and Grail was furious.

"Traitors..." The General growled. His whole body rumbled as he turned towards the doors. "Traitors, the whole lot of them! THEY'VE ABDUCTED THE PRINCE!"

"Now wait just a minute!" Rose shouted. "How can we just rush to such conclusions? We need to take the time to gather clues, and find evidence!"

"We don't have time for that." Nerona snapped. "The time until the Eternal Night arrives is ticking away."

"But none of those three seem like the type to go against our king." Rose insisted. "I say we give them the benefit of the doubt until we have evidence."

"So, you SYMPATHIZE with the traitors?" Grail loomed angrily over her.

"That's what I said at all, Grail." Rose glared back. "I am merely saying we see if they are in fact innocent of the accusations. You know, like LADY CYNDER would have demanded."

Grail's eye twitched, and his brow furrowed. He then stepped back and looked towards Bane. "My Lord, what do you say we do?"

"I..." Bane stammered. "I don't know."

The three Deep Shadows frowned as the black king looked away from them. Once again, Bane was second-guessing himself. When they last spoke, Albanion was FURIOUS with him for neglecting Rune. Leaving Rune all alone in that tower, locked away for days because the king couldn't be bothered to see him.

And Rune himself was cross as well. He demanded that Bane spare the lives of his "family" in Glenhaven. But Bane was his BLOOD-father. Rune shouldn't be saying such things to him... And yet, had Bane REALLY been a father to Rune?

 _Maybe they didn't abduct Rune at all._ Bane felt a bit emerge in his stomach. _He must have gone with them willingly, to find a way to save the dragons he loves... from ME. I've been such a terrible father, that BOTH of my sons have run away._ Bane shut his eyes tight as he struggled not to cry. _Blast it. I am the black king. I am the Dark Master. I have power that few dragons could imagine! ...So why can't I keep my family together?_

"Your highness?" Nerona asked worriedly. "Are you alright?"

Bane slowly opened his eyes again. He was about to tell them to call off the investigation, but was cut off as the doors to the dining hall were once again pushed open. A wind dragon ran inside wearing a scout's uniform. He struggled to catch his breath as everyone turned their eyes towards.

"Your graces..." The servant took several breaths. "Forgive my intrusion, but I bring urgent news."

 _It just keeps stacking, doesn't it..._ Bane sighed. The king stood upright and turned his attention towards the scout.

"This had better be good." Grail scowled.

"The party sent to spy on the Aeroshard battalion has returned, and they're being lead by the Deep Shadow Aegis. They're making their way to the Dragon Spire, and they've brought along a Guardian!"

"Aegis has returned?!" Nerona exclaimed.

"With a Guardian?" Rose asked curiously.

Grail's eye gleamed as he grinned. "Perfect! One of the TRAITORS has returned to face judgment!"

"Hold on a moment, Cyclops." Nerona pointed a talon at him. "We'll wait for him to give his side of the story first. THEN we'll leave it up to our king to determine if he should face judgment."

"Yes..." Bane finally said. "Yes, of course. Let's go greet him, then."

 _At the very least, he can tell me where Albanion has taken Rune._ Bane thought as he turned towards the doors. _I just hope both my sons are safe._

~~...~~

Bane and his Deep Shadows wasted no time making their way to the gardens that sat before the Dragon Spire. By the time they stepped out into the rain, word had spread among his soldiers that Aegis had returned from the camp. A sizeable crowd of soldiers and civilians alike had formed in the streets before the gardens. Bane and the Deep Shadows walked up to the edge of the garden when they spotted Aegis.

"There he is." Grail scowled. "I'd recognize that crippled dragon anywhere."

"Hold your tongue, General." Bane said. The king had recovered enough composure to put on the stoic, cold demeanor he had used in every interaction with his people. "Let us wait for him to step closer.

Aegis walked nervously towards the garden, with two dark dragons on either side of him. The foursome were in rough shape, like they'd just barely survived a brutal fight. Just to the burly dragon's side was a tall dragon with bright orange scales and the armor of a Guardian. He wasn't wrapped in chains or badly damaged: In fact, the Guardian walked with confidence, as if he was proud to be among dark dragons. Had this Guardian defeated them all in combat? No, that wouldn't make sense. What a strange circumstance this was...

Bane turned to glare at Aegis as the burly drake came to a stop across the way. There was a terror in the dragon's eyes as the dark dragons on the streets looked at him curiously. Bane was about to speak, but was cut off by Nerona gasping in surprise.

"Voden!" She exclaimed.

The Guardian looked towards her with a intrigued expression. "Nerona. I should have guessed I'd meet you here."

"You know this Guardian?" Bane asked her curiously.

"He was..." Nerona's eyes darted here and there. "He was someone I knew when I was training in the Silver Pillar. I encountered him by accident when I was on assignment there some time ago."

"Is that a fact..." Bane turned to glare at the Guardian. "Who are you, Guardian Voden, that you have the nerve to enter into my kingdom?"

"Wait, Your Highness!" Aegis exclaimed. "Before you question this dragon, I have urgent news from-"

"I'll deal with YOU later, Aegis!" Bane howled. He then turned his gaze back to the Guardian. "SPEAK."

"My oh my..." Voden straightened up. He cleared his throat to speak. "Well, King Bane, it's quite the... honor to greet a descendant of the two heroes."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Guardian." Bane snapped.

"Right..." Voden scratched his neck. "Well, I am a Guardian of the city of Glenhaven, and I speak on behalf of Elder Telus."

"Glenhaven?" Bane repeated curiously. "You've travelled all the way from the desert?"

"Yes, sir." Voden bowed his head. "I was travelling with a group of fellow Guardians, on quite the journey. And were trying to find your son, Prince Rune."

Bane gasped in surprise, as did quite a number of the dark dragons around him. The king heard Grail snarl and stomp forwards, so the king extended a wing to block him off.

"Yield, Grail." The king said. Grail looked at him incredulously, but snorted and stepped backwards.

"King Bane," The orange drake said, "would it be a gamble to assume that you have enough reason to hear the words of a Guardian?"

"You've already endangered your life by coming to Warfang." Bane raised an eye ridge. "However, I am willing to hear what you have to say on Glenhaven's behalf."

"What?" Grail exclaimed. "My lord, this dragon is a GUARDIAN. He is the enemy!"

"Enough, Grail." The king snapped. "He's come here of his own volition, and alongside a Deep Shadow no less. I'm interested in what he wants."

Grail's eye widened. He scrambled to think of something to say, but could only snort and looked away. "Very well. Do as you will, my king."

Bane thought back to what Rune said that night, about having family in the desert city. Bane relaxed a bit and faced the Guardian. "Tell me what you know about my son, Guardian Voden."

Voden explained how Rune was one of his students. He was raised in the guise of a fire dragon by Guardian Hontus and his wife as one of their own. The more Bane learned, the more intrigued he grew. All this time, his son was alive and well. If only Bane had known that Rune was in Glenhaven. He could have gone to bring him home.

The part that drew Bane's surprise was the revelation that the Elders of Glenhaven were well aware of Rune's true origins, as did Hontus.

"You mean to tell me..." Bane stepped closer. "That the rulers of Glenhaven willingly kept a black dragon under their watch? No harm ever came to him?"

"I speak the truth, my king." Voden bowed again. "Though your son had amnesia until only recently. After the incident, he fled Glenhaven with other younglings, presumably heading for the Well of Souls."

"Lies!" Grail shouted. "This has to be nothing but Guardian's LIES!"

"I have never told a lie a day in my life." Voden declared. "I am a scholar before a Guardian, and lies are unbecoming of my position."

 _The Well of Souls..._ Bane repeated in his head. _Everything always leads back to the Well of Souls..._

"My king," Voden said again, "My colleagues were travelling to the north to find Rune and his young friends. But we couldn't help but stop when we learned of..." Voden looked around with a grimace at the gathered dark dragons. They all glared at him with hatred and disdain, save for three: King Bane, who looked down with indifference, Rose, who wasn't sure what of the situation, and Nerona, who looked like she wanted to run away.

"You seem like an intelligent dragon." Bane said. "You should have known you'd be unwelcome here, especially after you were seen coming from the Aeroshard battalion."

"I was unwelcome there as well." Voden said. "Nonetheless, it was the duty of me and my fellow Guardians to become involved in the events revolving around Warfang. Commander Saul and his light dragons expected us to try and reclaim it in the name of the Pappas."

Bane's eye twitched. "Choose your next words wisely, Guardian."

Voden glared a little. "I do not serve the Pappas, King Bane. Nor do I serve any leader besides my Elders in Glenhaven. No, as a Guardian, I speak to you know of my own volition. And I wish to avoid violence in this conflict."

"Then what do you want?" The king demanded.

"King Bane, first let me say that I sympathize with the plight of your people." Voden said. "When I was a boy, I lived amongst dark dragons. I made many allies whom I never met again thanks to the Twilight War. And I always hoped that your people still lived somewhere..." Voden looked around at the assembled dragons again. "And I'm happy I was right. But I couldn't have imagined you'd launch a raid on Warfang, your own ancestral home."

Bane scratched his beard. "I have purged this city of the vile criminals who wrought destruction on my people."

"Revenge is a dangerous thing, my king." Voden said, looking back at him. "The steps you've taken to take back Warfang have drawn the attention of dragons who despise you. And it won't be long before they bring armies against Warfang's walls."

"Let them come." Bane snorted. "Once the Eternal Night has come, I will do away with anyone who stands against our people once and for all."

"Striking with violence against violence will only perpetrate a never ending cycle, King Bane." Voden said with a frown. "As a Guardian, I beseech you. Don't destroy any more lives. Warfang is supposed to be the home for ALL dragons."

Bane raised an eye ridge. "If the light dragons surrender, then they may keep their lives. But they shall be transformed into members of my people through the methods I possess."

"Right, right..." Voden glanced at Aegis. "Like you've done with this fellow."

The Guardian paused in his thoughts. He scratched his beard, as if pondering something. Bane watched him curiously, until the scholar finally looked back at him.

"King Bane, as a sign of the good will of the Guardians of Glenhaven..." Voden flapped his wings. "I humbly request to undergo the transformation."

Bane was silent for a minute. A confusion spread amongst the crowd; None could have expected such a request. Nerona in particular seemed unable to comprehend Voden's request.

"You... would willingly become a dark dragon?" Bane asked. "None have undergone it willingly since Aegis and his family. Explain yourself."

The Guardian put on a serious face. He lifted a forepaw to his chest as he looked the king in the eyes.

"As I have said before, I've grown up amongst the dark dragons. Because of this, I have been all but demonized as I travelled through the northern continent." Voden glared. "They call me 'darklover', as if it's a crime to have compassion for my fellow dragons. And just look amongst yourselves." Voden gestured to the dark dragons. "This war has poisoned everyone's mindsets. Because I am a light dragon, you assumed I was an enemy. Can any of you claim to be better than the light dragons out there, when you are just as quick to rush to violence and hatred? Nothing will ever be accomplished if we continue to hate each other. I refuse to give up on what I believe in; that light and dark dragons can live in the dragon worlds in harmony, just as they had for over a hundred years."

"What about your fellow Guardians?" Bane asked. "Can you really betray them by becoming a dark dragon so easily?"

"Betray them?" Voden repeated incredulously. "Of course not. I am a Guardian of all the realms, my king. I stand on the side of ALL dragons."

"I see..." Bane shut his eyes. He took a few breaths. The scholar's words echoed in his mind. A lot of what he said reminded him so much of King Urobos, it was uncanny. And the determination in the scholar's eyes was palpable.

"Voden... you are the first real Guardian I have met in a long time." The king said loud and clear. He lifted up a forepaw, which clutched his convexity crystal. "Step forwards, and I shall accept you into our fold."

Voden nodded. The crowd was stunned as the Guardian walked up to the king. Bane drew an orb of darkness from the crystal and extended it towards Voden's chest.

"STOP!" Nerona shouted. Bane and Voden both looked at her in surprise as she ran up to them. "Voden, this is a mistake! Most light dragons aren't like you! If you become one of us, they'll stop at nothing to kill you for betraying them!"

"As I've said before, I betray no one." Voden said. "Light or Dark, I am a Guardian."

Nerona's eyes widened in horror as the king implanted the orb of darkness into Voden's chest. The orange drake twitched and shook as dark energies spread across his body. Voden's eyes glowed a bright white, and his scales were painted with smoke and mist. The scholar nearly collapsed as he snarled and thrashed, his body struggling to accept the dark magic. Bane's face weakened as he watched the display.

 _The transformation seems much more painful for this Guardian than it had for Aegis and his family_. Bane sighed. He then glared at the burly drake. _Speaking of Aegis..._

Soon Voden's violent shakes came to a stop. He panted heavily as the smoky mist disappeared to expose his body. The Guardian's scales had turned a deep vermillion in hue. His mane had grown erratic, and his incisor fangs had grown a tad longer. Voden took a few deep, calming breaths as he stood upright.

"Guardian Voden..." Bane shook his shoulder. "Are you alright."

"I..." Voden said. "I'm alright."

The Guardian stepped back and took another breath. He looked himself over, grimacing a bit as his darker scales. He ran his tongue over his fangs, and shivered a bit. "These physical changes are going to take some time to get used to."

"Indeed." Bane nodded. The king looked around at the gathered dragons. "Do you see, my people? A Guardian has been accepted into our way of life. I expect you all to give him all the courtesies and respect that you would a Deep Shadow. I have decreed it so!"

The dragons looked amongst themselves. Each and every one was speechless. Eventually the crowd dispersed, presumably to share the news of what happened to the others out and about.

Grail and Rose stared incredulously at the transformed Voden. The General was practically choking on all the hateful words he cooked up for the "light" dragon. Rose was indifferent, or at least she tried to be.

"Grail, Rose." Bane ordered. "Go about your day. Return to your posts."

"But what about-?" Grail began to ask.

"I'll handle everything else myself." The king ordered. "Now go."

Grail and Rose bowed to their king. They took one last look at the Guardian before taking off. Nerona looked Voden up and down, unable to believe her eyes. Voden looked back at her, unsure of what to say.

"You barely resembled how you did as a boy now, Voden." Nerona said.

"Even so, I'm glad with how my life has turned out so far." Voden replied. "And I'm happy to be with you again, Nerona."

"How can you be so optimistic?" Nerona demanded. "Did you forget how I did away with those petty dragons in what USED to be the Silver Pillar? Did you forget that I'm a killer, Voden?"

Voden sighed. "I did not forget... in fact, I forgive you."

Nerona was dumbstruck. "I can't understand how you can be so forgiving."

"Whatever personal history you two have, it doesn't concern me." The king said. "Nerona, take Guardian Voden up through the Dragon Spire... keep a close eye on him."

"Very well, my king..." Nerona sighed. She looked back up at Voden. "This way... Voden."

"Alright." The scholar smiled, his new fangs protruding awkwardly from his maw. Nerona tried her best not to laugh as she led him towards the Spire. This left Bane alone with Aegis, who was silent this whole time.

"M-My I finally speak, my lord?" Aegis asked nervously.

Bane became filled with rage. He gave the burly drake a deathly glare. "You have a lot of nerve speaking to me after you helped Albanion and Elza smuggle my son away!"

Aegis grimaced and stepped back, but then he shook his head and focused on the king. "I apologize for going behind your back, my king! But you MUST hear me out! I bring a message from LORD SPYRO!"

Bane froze in place. "What?!"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm lying!" Aegis declared, stepping a bit closer. "I've wanted to tell you the message since arriving here with that scholarly drake. Lord Spyro's spirit has spoken to us from the beyond, and has a warning for you!"

The black king shook with rage and fear. He stepped forwards to stare into Aegis's eyes, who looked back with conviction. Bane saw no lies, no trickery. There was only a sense of urgency and dread. So what did this mean? Had Spyro truly returned from the dead? Had he finally decided to take up action after decades of indifference and leaving Bane's people to die? Bane's blood boiled, and he scowled at the very thought of the purple dragon.

"Fine then..." Bane demanded. "Tell me this message."

Aegis quickly leaned over to whisper into Bane's ear frill. The king's eyes went wide, and his whole being filled with fear. Bane cursed himself for not contacting Wraith and Lilith yet. He cursed himself for wanting to take a day off. He cursed himself for not having the foresight to take action sooner.

And he cursed himself for putting his sons in danger.

 _I must head for the Well of Souls! IMMEDIATELY!_

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

Sorry this chapter came out so late, but it was a DOOZY. I originally intended for Bane's half of the chapter to be just that: Half. Fifty percent. But it just kept going and going, so I needed more time to write. And boy are my hands tired from it all. I hope you enjoyed the show, and I'll see you next time!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas._


	31. Act 3, Chapter 4

"Your Highness," Grail said with a concerned look on his face, "What's come over you?"

Bane was frantically dashing about his personal bedchambers. He was gathering up as many convexity crystals that he could spare. The king could scarcely take the time to stop and think things over. He glanced over to his doorway, where the Rose and Grail stood. They were quite confused when Bane summoned them to his presence right after he had just told them to continue with their previous orders. He had summoned Nerona as well, but the dragoness didn't arrive. But to be honest, Bane didn't even care; he was much to preoccupied with heading off.

"Are you alright, my liege?" Rose asked. "You seem quite pale."

"I'm well enough." Bane snapped as he packed up his crystals in a bag. He put the bag onto a custom-made satchel. "Rose, help me but this on my back."

Rose stepped forwards to do as her king commanded, but she didn't look satisfied. "Where are you heading off to, my liege? Didn't you want to stay to perform the ritual upon the gathered younglings?"

"Things have changed very suddenly, Rose." Bane said. He backed up as soon as the satchel was tied to his back, and whirled around to look at both of his Deep Shadows. "I have new orders for the both of you. Grail, you are to take charge during my absence. Rose, keep an eye on the secret passages to the ruins beneath the city. Set up an ambush for any light dragons who try to sneak in. Whatever happens in my absence, do NOT let them steal Warfang from us."

Grail and Rose exchanged curious glances, but sighed and bowed to their king. They said in unison, "As you wish, my king."

"Good." Bane took one of the crystals and held it before himself. "I must be off. I don't know when I'll return to Warfang. But it doesn't matter, so long as I'm able to make it to the Well of Souls before its too late."

"But why, Your Highness?" Grail demanded. "Why are you suddenly leaving for that dreadful place when we're so close to accomplishing our goals?"

"Things have taken a very unfortunate change, Grail." Bane sighed. He looked up into the general's eye. "A threat far worse than Richteriel and his minions is looming on the horizon. I must do what I can to stop it before it's too late, or..."

For the first time in years, the king shivered in fear. He clutched his eyes shut, trying to shut out the horrid memories. "I... I must be off. May the Ancestors look after you."

"But your highness-" Rose started.

Bane charged the crystal in his forepaw with dark energy before tossing it in the middle of the carpet. The geyser of magic created a blowing force so great that Grail and Rose had to shield themselves with their wings. Bane took a deep, long breath and leaped forwards through the purple portal. And in a flash, he was gone.

For several moments, Grail and Rose stood dumbstruck at where the king vanished. Just like that, their leader was off mucking about somewhere in the Well of Souls. Grail gave a thick growl from his throat, and he smacked a vase off a pedestal with his tail.

"He's the only one with the power to transform the children!" Grail roared. He turned around to stomp out of the bedchamber, Rose quickly following behind his footfalls. "For the Ancestors' sake, this was HIS plan! We're SO CLOSE to the Eternal Night arriving!"

"I don't understand it either, Grail." Rose sighed. "But Bane is our king, and we need to obey his decrees."

"Oh, of course." Grail snorted. He turned to look down at the dragoness. "I'm all for standing by the decisions of our king. But things have been going bloody CRAZY these last few days!" The general extended his wings in frustration. "A long-thought-dead prince turning up. A secret passage beneath Warfang causing a commotion, Albanion and his group running off with the prince, the king not wanting to pursue them... And now he's run off to the Well of Souls to chase after some unseen threat, when we've got an army banging at Warfang's doorstep! It's enough to drive a dragon mad!"

"Well throwing a fit about the king's strange behavior won't solve anything." Rose sighed. "You and I both have work to do. And I can only hope that our king will return to us in time to perform the ritual."

"What?!" Grail snapped. "You! You are... correct."

The general shut his eyes and took a long, steady breath. He folded his wings back up and stepped forwards towards the end of the hallway. "I mustn't overexert myself. A new day is coming. I need to do what I can to make this world welcome for Chalice."

"Do as you will, my General." Rose bowed her head. "May the Ancestors look after you."

The Deep Shadows parted ways to prepare for the coming battles...

~~...~~

Wraith woke up from slumber and stretched out his limbs. He stood up and fanned out his wings as he gave a big hearty yawn. He stood there with his eyes closed, letting himself enjoy the cool air of the morning. Wraith felt great, better than he had in weeks, in fact.

 _It's funny how a nice, long nap in a cave can make a dragon feel so refreshed,_ Wraith thought with a relaxed sigh. _Maybe our ancestors were on to something..._

Wraith opened his eyes to look at the younglings. And immediately, his good feeling, just like the children, was GONE.

"WHERE'D THEY GO?!" Wraith shouted.

Wraith whirled around in a panic, trying to spot a sign of the younglings. He noticed Lilith "standing" by the mouth of the cave, sound asleep. Wraith didn't have to guess to know what happened; the artificial dark dragon tried using dark energy to keep herself awake. And of course she ran out and passed out, giving the younglings time to sneak off.

Wraith grasped his head and groaned in irritation.

"Blast it, Lilith..." Wraith shook his head around. "Darkness doesn't last forever, dummy."

Wraith stepped forwards to shake Lilith awake. But just as he was about to lay a forepaw on her shoulder, four sets of paws came to a landing behind him. Feeling some relief again, Wraith whirled to see Blankridge, Emerald, Nellie and Tina come to a stop in the cave. Wraith frowned when he saw that Blankridge and his sister had rather dour expressions, as did Tina. Wraith at first wanted to ask what was wrong, but his heart sank and his eyes widened when he looked at long, nasty scar running across Emerald's face. The green dragoness stumbled forwards into the cave, trying not to cry as Tina carefully guided her over to her satchel.

"What happened?!" Wraith screamed. "Where'd you go?! How'd she get hurt?!"

Blankridge and Nellie exchanged glances. They seemed angry at first, but then became miserable.

"There was... an accident." Nellie said to Wraith. "We all went to play in the snow, but then we were attacked by those dark monsters."

"Oh no..." Wraith felt his heart leap into his throat.

"And while we were fighting them off..." Blankridge looked over at Emerald, still quite miserable. "Emerald got hurt, and her spectacles were broken.

"Oh no..." Wraith said again, his eyes widening. His cupped a forepaw over his muzzle and backed up into the wall. "Oh no, no, no, no..."

How could this have happened? How could one of those innocent little younglings gotten hurt while Wraith was supposed to be watching him? Her parents would be FURIOUS with him if they ever met him now! And what's worse, they're Guardians!

"I'm as good as dead..." Wraith muttered, crumpling onto the floor.

"Well, there IS a bit of good news, Mr. Wraith. Blankridge said. "While we were out fighting, we received help in the form of none other than..." Blankridge felt a smile forming on his face again. "Rune!"

"What?" Wraith blinked in confusion. "Rune? As in Prince Rune?"

"Yes, Mr. Wraith." Nellie said, wings fluttering. "We don't know how he got here; he just soft of... crashed in on us."

"What are you talking about?" Wraith asked.

Blankridge and Nellie went into detail explaining what happened in the valley, from the snowball fight to the two princes having their reunion. From the looks of their eyes, Wraith had a feeling they were telling the truth. He felt a weight slide off his shoulders. Not only was the missing Prince Rune truly alive, but he had the fortune of stumbling on their little adventuring group.

 _Thank the Ancestors, the prince is safe and sound..._ Wraith sighed. _I need to stop and think rationally. I'll make sure that poor Emerald girl gets the proper medical treatment, and then we'll all head to the Well of Souls to complete the mission._ _Maybe everything will be al-_

And then Wraith realized something he overlooked. Something VERY IMPORTANT.

"Where are they?" Wraith asked. "Where are the princes?" He quickly counted the heads of the younglings, and his eyes widened again. "And where's Roxanne, for that matter?"

Nellie and Blankridge stopped in their tracks, their own eyes going wide. They quickly turned around to look down into the valley. Their wings fluttered frantically as they looked this way and that across the sky. Wraith choked up again; he didn't like where this was going.

"Th-There gone!" Blankridge exclaimed.

"But I thought they were right behind us!" Nellie shouted. "They were just having a little chat for a while!"

Wraith felt the stone crushing his back again. He collapsed onto the floor, his heartrate skyrocketing.

 _As. Good. As. DEAD._

Tina was helping Emerald put her satchel over her neck when they noticed the commotion. The former guided the latter back to the others and looked around.

"Don't tell me they're not back yet." Emerald grimaced. "Does this mean we have to get going to find them?"

"OF course it does..." Wraith muttered. The only thing keeping Wraith from going off the deep end was that he had a very good idea of where to search for the missing trio. The crimson drake stood up, grabbed Lilith's shoulder and violently shook her awake. He put his heat to her ear frill and shouted. "Hey sleepyhead! GET UP!"

Lilith woke with a start and jumped to her feet, nearly knocking Wraith over in the process. "Huh? What?"

"First off all..." Wraith glared at her. "We're going to need to have a chat about your ability to stand watch. But more importantly, we've got to get going: We have a 'missing royalty' problem allover again."

"What?!" Lilith exclaimed. She looked around to count the younglings' heads, only to stop and gasp at Emerald. "My word! What happened to her?!"

"There's no time to waste having it explained allover again." Wraith snapped. "Everyone, grab your belongings. We have to find the prince...s. Plural, apparently. And Roxanne as well."

"But where would we begin looking?" Lilith asked.

Wraith gave her a stern look. "I have a very good idea where they're headed."

~~...~~

The storm didn't seem to get any weaker as Rune, Cyrus and Roxanne made their way across the grey sky. They didn't say a word the entire time; they had to focus on keeping sight of one another, for the air grew very blurry up above the clouds.

But eventually, the trio came to a landing in the shadow of the largest mountain they'd ever seen. After all this time, Rune and Cyrus found themselves standing at the foot of their mother's homeland; the great mountain. It didn't matter what name it was given: Mountain of Malefor, Erebus, Well of Souls. None could perfectly describe the mount of dread they felt to stand as mere specks in its great shadow.

There were so many rumors about this land. One of which was that the spirits of the kings and queens who used to rule the kingdom within still wandered through the countless catacombs, forever drawn to the place where the world was cracked. Another rumor, shared to Cyrus by Nerona, was that if anyone were to use the mountain's magic or gems for wrongdoing, the spirits would moan in anger, loud enough for all to hear.

Cyrus took a long, chilly breath, hoping that such a rumor wasn't true. And even if it were... the spirits would cry out while he and his brother were trying to revive their fallen mother, would they? That was an act of good... wasn't it?

Whether the rumors were true or not, The princes and their yellow companion came to a stop at the mouth of a great cave; the entryway to the mountain city. Beyond the darkness was a massive chamber, that connected to countless doorways and corridors.

"Are you ready for this, Rune?" Cyrus asked.

"Uh..." Rune looked over nervously. "I guess so. I didn't come all this way just to turn chicken at the last minute."

"Neither did I!" Roxanne declared. She skipped forwards towards the open cave... only to come to a stop. She turned back with a nervous chuckle. "Uh... How exactly are we going to find out way through that?"

"One of the Deep Shadows, Nerona told me about this some time ago." Cyrus said as he stepped forwards. "There's a great number of gem clusters inside the passageways of the mountain city. We can use them to guide our way down to the lowest corridors that lead to the Well of Souls. But if they prove to be too dim, I've got a backup plan."

"Sounds like a decent plan." Rune nodded. He stepped forwards, gently brushing a wing on Roxanne's side. "Come on, let's head inside."

Roxanne flushed a bit. "Alright Rune. I'll always feel safe when I'm around you."

Rune and Roxanne smiled at each other. But then Cyrus came stomping between them.

"Alright, alright..." He snorted. Cyrus forcibly turned them around to face the interior of the cave. "Save the lovey-dovey nonsense for after we've found the Well. Come on!"

Rune and Roxanne immediately flushed with embarrassment. They each put snow on their faces to calm themselves down. Meanwhile, Cyrus reached into his satchel and pulled out a lantern.

"I borrowed this from Wraith." Cyrus said as he put it down. "I was going to have Blankridge light it, but..."

"You want me to do it?" Rune asked. "Alright..."

Rune leaned down and blew a tiny flame into the lantern, and it roared to life. Cyrus smiled and carefully held it in his maw before leading the way inside. Rune and Roxanne wasted no time rushing after him, and the trio travelled in relative silence after that.

The interior of the mountain city was almost completely black. There were in fact quite a number of clusters of red, green, and even blue gems scattered across the many stone corridors. But just as Cyrus suspected, they didn't provide enough light. So he swung his lantern this way and that to get a good look at the surroundings.

The passageways were carved into the interior of the mountain over a span of a hundred years. The passages further down were much older than the ones spanning up the mountain's interior. each and every wall, floor and ceiling was carved from igneous rock. On occasion, there'd be an old wooden sign implanted into the floor somewhere to pinpoint the viewer's location within the massive stone monolith.

At the very center of the mountain was a massive circular opening in the floor and ceiling. This opening was found on every floor, all the way up to the peak, which was shaped like the jaws of a dragon skull. Thus, a single, gigantic chasm ran through the mountain, all the way down to the Well of Souls down below. Despite technically being a faster way down, none of the trio had the good sense to try leaping down the chasm.

Rune, Cyrus and Roxanne lost track of time as they travelled further and further down the corridors. When Roxanne looked to be losing her nerve, Rune walked alongside her, a wing draped over her back. They eventually came to a stop at the fork on the path, which fed into three different passageways going in different directions. Cyrus looked down to check the sign, only to grimace. Several large chunks were torn from the sign, leaving its message unreadable.

He put the lantern down and grimaced. "Well, just my luck. The sign's broken."

"We'll just have to take a close look at the passages, then." Rune replied. He let go of Roxanne and walked over to each of the doorways. Cyrus picked the lantern back up and pointed it wherever Rune looked to give him light.

"Hmm..." Rune inspected the floors very closely. The paths to the front and left seemed to stay flat, but the one on the right was descending a short distance before veering around a corner. Stepping down the corridor a short ways, he noticed that a flight of stairs was visible beyond said corner. "This way!"

"Alrighty then." Cyrus declared, skipping after him.

"Hey, wait up!" Roxanne exclaimed as he ran after them.

Rune ran forwards down the corridor and carefully went down the flight of stairs. He spread his wings and glided down them to try and save time. But as he neared the last flights of stairs, something didn't feel right. Rune's head became light and his wings felt heavy. He weebled and wobbled in the air before nearly crashing at the end of the stairs. As Rune spread out his paws to stand up, his head starting to shake. His vision blurred, and his eyes trying to force themselves shut.

"Wh-What's going on...?" Rune asked aloud. "I F-feel... sleepy..."

"Rune?!" Cyrus exclaimed.

"H-Huh...?" Rune muttered, trying to keep his eyes open. He turned his head up the flight of stairs in time to see Cyrus and Roxanne gliding down to land beside him.

"What happened, Rune?" Roxanne asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Uh..." Rune muttered. It sounded like Roxanne was shouting to him from a mile away. "Y-Yeah..."

Cyrus tilted his head as he looked Rune over. Rune grimaced and stepped back from him, nearly tripping over himself in the process.

"Rune, have you gotten any sleep in a while?" Cyrus asked. "You eyes seem a little... sunken in."

"Well..." Rune stammered.

"He's right." Roxanne grimaced. "You seem a bit skinnier than when we got separated in that village. Did they starve you when you were held captive in Warfang?"

"N-No, I ate just fine..." Rune said, trying to stand upright again. "I... I guess I've just... forgotten to stop to eat anything while tra-travelling through the s-snow?"

Roxanne stepped back, feeling very concerned. She glanced over to Cyrus. "Hey, would you happen to have any fish wrapped up in your satchel?"

"If I did, it'd probably be rotten by now." Cyrus shrugged. "All I've got are some trail rations. Why?"

"I think we need to take a break for a while." Roxanne insisted. "Rune's not himself right now."

"H-hey, I'm fine." Rune insisted. "Don't act l-like I'm not h-here."

"Rune, you look like you're about to pass out." The dragoness frowned. "I think you need to get some rest, or eat some rations."

"I don't n-need rest or rations." Rune declared. "Here, I'll sh-show you..."

Rune took a deep breath and concentrated on his magic. Roxanne and Cyrus watched in surprise as Rune's body glowed with a dark purple aura. It swam across his body, making his limbs shake erratically. His eyes shot wide open and he quickly looked between the other two.

"See?!" Rune exclaimed, nearly bounding in place. "With my magic I ca-ca-can keep going for DAYS!"

"Whoa!" Cyrus leaped back at his brother's outburst. "Rune, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, Cyrus!" Rune shouted. He immediately turned towards the corridor and galloped forwards. "Come on! Let's go revive our mother! Time's ticking away!"

Cyrus and Roxanne watched in confused awe as Rune went from sleepy to excited in an instant. They exchanged glanced, and then hurried to catch up with him. All the while, Rune tried to pretend the stinging pain at the back of his head didn't exist.

~~...~~

The storm seemed to only get worse the closer Wraith and the others got to Mount Erebus. He feared that they might lose their way as they travelled across the skies. During the flight, he was still trying to comprehend everything that had happened while he slept. One of the younglings under his care suffered a serious injury to the face, leaving her temporarily blinded. Prince Cyrus had run off on his own again, this time dragging that Roxanne girl along with him. Whether or not the long-since missing Prince Rune was with those two, Wraith didn't know. All he knew that he needed to catch up to them before time had run out.

Eventually Wraith found the way to Mount Erebus. After taking a sigh or relief, the crimson drake guided them down towards the very foot of the massive mountain. One by one, the Deep Shadows and four younglings came to a soft landing in the snow. The children spread out to look up at the mountain, except for Emerald who didn't want to move from Lilith's back.

"So, THIS is Mount Erebus?" Blankridge asked as he looked up at the giant stone monolith.

"Pretty big, isn't it?" Tina said. "I wonder how long it would take for a loogie to hit the ground from the top."

"Eww..." Emerald grimaced. "That's disgusting."

"Don't knock it till you try it." Tina winked and stuck her tongue out at Emerald, even though she knew the green dragoness couldn't see it.

"We're not here for sight-seeing, kids!" Wraith exclaimed. "We have three younglings to find, presumably at the bottom of the mountain city."

The crimson drake led the way into the mountain city, everyone staying close behind. Wraith sighed. In a way, he supported Cyrus's decision to run on ahead. Wraith missed the late Queen Elenar almost as much as the prince did, and time was running out before the Eternal Night was to arrive. However, it would do Cyrus no good to be alone within the mountain city. Rune would HAVE to be with him, presumably having the other elements. Otherwise Cyrus wouldn't have everything he needed to begin the ritual.

Wraith led the way down one of the passageways he knew led down towards the bottom sections of the mountain city. Along the way, he spotted the dim light of gem clusters protruding from the rocky surface of the walls. He stepped forwards and used his tail the smack the clusters, shattering them into gems. The crimson drake then used his magic to teleport the gems into the bags on his satchel. He found that the bags had more room than last night.

 _Cyrus took my stuff while I was sleeping again..._ Wraith sneered. He shook his head and continued storing away gems

"We're going to need a lot more Gems than this." He said to Lilith.. "But I think this will be a good start for now."

"What are the gems for, exactly?" Nellie asked as she walked up to Wraith.

"It's a long story." Wraith said as he continued walking. "I'll explain on the way...

~~...~~

There was a blast of purple magic as the King Bane appeared in a burst of convexity. He freefell towards the land below before flapping his wings and righting himself in the air. After circling around to get his bearings, Bane looked down at the peak of Mount Erebus.

 _I didn't think I'd ever return here_ , Bane sighed. _After everything that happened all those years ago..._

Bane looked up at the sky. The twin moons floated ominously in the sky, perfectly on either side of the mountain. He growled, and then turned his gaze down to the chasm that fed down, down into the dark abyss.

"The Eternal night is almost here." He snorted. He spread his wings and leaped forwards into the air before swooping downwards into the darkness. "I can only hope I'm not too late."

~~...~~

It was a long and dangerous trek through the mountain city, which came at the end of an even longer and more dangerous journey for both princes. But now, after so much time, they finally arrived at their destination.

They sat at the foot of the Well of Souls.

Never had any of the three young dragons seen a hole in the world so big. It shouldn't have been possible for a mountain to stand tall above it. And yet here it was. The princes and their yellow friend stepped forwards onto the platform of stone to the south. They looked around in awe at the three similar platforms that formed the remaining cardinal directions. Just outside each entryway, a massive baggage curved around the sides of the crevice.

"This place is incredible." Roxanne said, her eyes wide as she looked all around. "How did anyone ever build something like this?"

"No mortal dragons 'built' it." Rune said. "It was always here, in one form or another."

Every inch of the stone in the platforms and walls were a deep dark blue. The younglings winced as they stepped forwards, as it was cold to the touch. The air was cold enough for them to see their breath and give them fits of shivers. They had to retrieve the fur-cloths from Cyrus's satchel and wrap them around themselves to keep warm. They looked up at the ceiling, and sure enough there was a section missing. They could even see snow falling down through the crevice, presumably falling all the way down the mountain and into the deep pit.

Rune carefully walked up to the edge of the platform, which had no walls or gates to prevent anyone from falling in. In fact, a large chunk of the edge of the platform was missing, and the area around it was badly damaged. Had a battle taken place here? He had no time to ponder this as he peered carefully over the edge to look into the well below. It seemed to go downwards for eternity, like a great black abyss waiting to swallow them. The only thing that Rune could see was a feint glimmer of green light miles below.

Rune was terrified, and yet he couldn't look away. Something seemed to be moving in the darkness far below. A whisper rose up out of the pit and brushed against Rune's ear frills. It spoke in a strange, indecipherable language. Rune felt himself shiver again. He backed up from the bit and bundled up tighter in the furs.

Roxanne frowned and walked up beside him. "Hey, are you feeling okay, Rune?"

"Of course." Rune nodded.

"Are you sure about that?" She asked, quite unconvinced. "You've been acting strangely ever since you woke us up."

"Roxanne, I'm fine..." He stood up to look away from her. "I guess... I'm just a little anxious right now. Things are a little too intimidating. But I'm sure I just need some time to get used to these surroundings."

"Rune, you don't have to hide anything from me." Roxanne insisted. "You've always been able to trust me. That's why you showed me how you could do all kinds of magic besides fire, all that time ago. Don't you remember?"

"Of course I remember, Roxy." Rune said. He stood up tall and fanned out his wings. "It's just that..."

Roxanne's features drooped. "This isn't about what happened to Emerald, is it?"

"No, no." Rune said quickly. But he then stopped to think about the accident that befell the earthy dragoness. Rune sighed. "Although..."

Roxanne's eyes widened. She turned away with a hurt expression. Rune grimaced. He didn't want to be mad at Roxanne, but being careless with magic was one of the earlier things taught to students at the palace. Roxanne should have...

"Guys, look!" Cyrus exclaimed suddenly. Rune and Roxanne faced him as he pointed a talon at the side walls. Several clusters of gems were lined up in neat piles, just out of view when they initially stepped onto the platform.

"We hit the jackpot!" Cyrus declared. He ran up to one of the clusters and head-butted it. "We won't have to waste too much time looking for gems after all! Give me a paw here, will ya?"

"Sure, Cyrus" Rune said. He looked at Roxanne with a frown. "We'll talk about this later, Roxanne."

The yellow dragoness glanced at him, then looked away again, still rather upset. Rune only sighed and walked over to help Cyrus, with Roxanne just behind him. The three dragons shattered the clusters to scatter gems across the platform. Even if it was easy, it still took about ten minutes to collect all the gems. The trio then gathered them up into three neat piles in the center; red, blue and green divided up evenly.

"How many of them do you think we'll need?" Rune asked.

"I'm not sure." Cyrus shrugged his shoulders. "Just to be safe, let's use all of them. If there are any gems leftover, then no harm no foul."

"Well, if you think that's the right thing to do..." Rune turned to look at the crevice. "It would help if we knew how powerful Mother was when she... you know."

"Yeah..." Cyrus sighed. He stood up and fanned out his wings, but then looked back at Rune. "Are you sure you're in the best condition to do this?"

"Cyrus, we don't have time for naps." Rune snapped. "We're here, so let's start this thing!"

Cyrus frowned. He then looked forwards again. "Okay... I think it's time to start."

Rune took a deep breath and nodded yes. He reached into his satchel and fished through his belongings. He soon came upon a scroll; the scroll he'd written the Revival Ritual on all that time ago in Glenhaven. Rune put the scroll on the floor by Cyrus's paws, and the two looked down over its contents.

 _In the cold heart of Erebus,_

 _When the Eight are combined as one,_

 _The Spirits will walk among us,_

 _And death itself shall be undone._

 _Gems must be mined from rocks of old,_

 _Venture forth where spirits behold,_

 _Dark and light will channel the force_

 _Convexity will stay the course._

 _The elements, spirits will bind,_

 _They'll hear the world, and air they'll find,_

 _They'll remember what makes them real,_

 _The hardship and sorrow they'll feel._

 _To lose, one must gain. To give, one must take_

As Rune finished reading over the ritual once again, he the time to think about everything he'd been through once again. How his friends had journeyed with him, how they'd encountered monsters and enemies. And how Rune had to confront his own father, the king of all dark dragons. Rune had rediscovered himself, and met up with his family once again. He had learned what terrible deeds his father had committed, and how he was expected to stop him.

 _ **You've done well to come this far, young dragon.**_ The voice of The Chronicler spoke to him once again. _**Now, you must perform the final step; you must revive your mother. Step forth, and complete your mission.**_

Rune nodded yes and rose up tall. He looked towards his brother, and the princes shared a glare filled with resolve and determination.

"Is there anything I should do?" Roxanne asked.

"You shouldn't get too close, Roxy." Rune answered. "We don't' know what's going to happen. Remember; this isn't exactly a safe place."

Roxanne sighed sadly and slowly backed up. Rune didn't like telling her not to get involved, but it couldn't be helped. As Rune looked back forwards, Cyrus approached the edge of the platform and peered into the crevice. Taking a quick breath, Rune's brother reached into his satchel and retrieved a short dagger.

"What's that for?" Rune asked worriedly. Cyrus unsheathed the dagger with his maw and awkwardly held it in his left forepaw.

"I've had this dagger ever since I ran away from The Nexus." Cyrus said. "It's an old ceremonial dagger, used by the shadow dragons and their allies. As for what it's for..."

Cyrus gritted his fangs and cut the dagger partially into his free forepaw. He then held his injured paw out, palm facing upwards. "It's to get things started."

"What are you doing?" Rune asked incredulously. He stepped forwards to use healing magic, but Cyrus extended a wing to block him.

"Wait!" Cyrus exclaimed. "This is how the ritual starts."

Rune backed up and watched his brother curiously. Cyrus faced forwards again and put the dagger on the floor. He put his left forepaw over his right and created a small orb of darkness. Cyrus combined the shadowy orb with a few drops of his blood. The orbs shimmered for a few moments, before turning a ghastly shade of red. Taking a breath, the prince dropped the orb down into the crevice. He then backed up and sheathed the dagger.

"Okay, I could use some bandages or healing magic now." Cyrus winced as he held his injure forepaw up. Rune happily stepped forward to oblige, but came to a stop when his ear frills detected a rumbling sound. It started off low, but then grew to such immensity that it was a struggle for all of the young dragons to stay on their paws. The piles of gems rattled and shook, some of them falling over onto the floor.

"Roxanne, hurry!" Cyrus shouted. "Gather them up again!"

"What's happening?!" Roxanne exclaimed.

As the platform shook, the feint green light began to grow brighter. Rune watched in awe as

"And now..." Cyrus fluttered his wings. "We begin the spell properly."

~~...~~

Wraith and the others were suddenly thrown off-balance as the entire mountain shook. Emerald slipped out from under Lilith's wing and screamed as she hit the floor. Lilith scrambled to help her up again while the other younglings shouted in surprise.

"What was THAT?!" Blankridge exclaimed.

"It sounds like it's coming from below us!" Tina shouted.

Wraith's eyes went wide. There was only one possible explanation for the mountain shaking. He just wished he was wrong. The princes wouldn't start the ritual without the proper supervision, would they? Could they really be so brash?

"Come on." Wraith said, glaring now. "We've got to follow the rumbling to the crevice."

Wraith rushed forwards, with Blankridge and Nellie quick on his heels. Lilith looked after them incredulously, while Tina tried to help Emerald onto her mother's back.

"What's going on?" Emerald asked as she slumped over Lilith's side.

"There's no time to explain, dear." Lilith said. She looked down at Tina, who nodded and ran forwards. Lilith struggled to keep a brisk pace after the others without dropping Emerald from her back...

~~...~~

King Bane was carefully descending floor by floor as he made his way down the chasm of the mountain. He'd come to a landing every few sections down so as not to feel like he was free-falling down into that wretched abyss below. Bane wasn't sure how far down he'd flown exactly, but part of him felt like he was more than halfway to the main chamber holding the Well of Souls.

But things took a horrific turn when a great blast of light roared to life far below him. Bane's eyes went wide and he scrambled to fly out of the way as a great geyser of light. He hit the stone floor hard as a massive beam of green light rose behind him.

"Gaah!" Bane snarled. He turned away and shielded his face with a wing. His ear frills tingled at the distant sound of spirits filling the halls with their wails.

"It's starting..." Bane said. In a panic, the black king created an aura of convexity around himself and lunged into the beam of energy. He let himself free-fall down the chasm. It was the only way he could think to get down there in time...

~~...~~

The rumbling gradually weakened enough for the princes and Roxanne to stand up properly, but they didn't completely die off. The green light had grown brighter and brighter, until it erupted forth from the crevice and flew upwards into the sections above. Rune and Cyrus carefully stepped up to the piles of gems. They looked each other in the eyes before turning to face the glowing light.

Something was swimming around in the pillar of light. Or rather, _many_ things were in the light. An army of wailing spirits could be seen swirling weightlessly through the pillar. The spirits broke free of the pillar and floated about in the open air at great speed, betwixt and between the four platforms. Rune tried not to lose his nerves as the spirits wailed and moaned all about him. He could hear Roxanne starting to panic behind him. Rune turned towards her, looking her in the eyes.

"Roxanne..." He said. "Everything will be alright. I won't let anything happen to you."

The yellow dragoness looked back at him for a moment, eyes locked on his. She was starting to tear up, but then shook her head and looked back. "I... I trust you, Rune."

Cyrus had his eyes on the spirits the whole time. He inspected each one, trying to figure out which one was the spirit he intended to summon. "Darn it. None of these spirits look like her. She's not here."

"How do you know?" Roxanne asked him.

"That orb of blood I made was supposed to draw her to us." Cyrus said. "I can't figure out why she's not here yet."

"Maybe we just have to keep looking." Rune said. He stepped forwards and looked from one spirit to another. The air was filled with a chorus of sorrowful cries. Most of the voices blended together, making it nearly impossible to distinguish one from another. The two princes focused hard, their ear frills shaking to listen for anything they might recognize.

And then they heard a familiar female voice. "Rune... Cyrus..."

The princes gasped and looked at each other. They then turned their eyes to the spirits, trying to find the one that spoke.

"Mother?!" Cyrus called out.

"Rune... Cyrus..." The voice said again.

"Mother, where are you?!" Rune shouted.

The pillar of light began glowing brighter again, and the rumbles increased in magnitude. Another pillar of light rose up, this one a distinct red so that it stood out from the green. Rune and Cyrus turned with a gasp towards the red light as another spirit slowly emerged within it.

"It's HER!" Cyrus shouted. He scrambled for the gems. "Quick, Rune! Help me out!"

"Right!" Rune said quickly.

The two princes held out their forepaws and summoned their magical power. Cyrus used shadow magic to pull several gems into the darkness, and then proceeded to break them down into raw energy. Rune used his earth magic to smash gems to pieces, so that they made a fine dust that shimmered with white. They had the black and white energies pool together between the gem clusters. The energies glowed with a bright rainbow of colors, before shifting in form to become a plasma-like mass.

"My sons..." The dragoness's voice spoke again. It tried to say something else, but the message became lost among the chorus of shouts.

"What did she say?" Rune asked curiously.

"Don't waste time!" Cyrus shouted. "Just focus!"

And thus the ritual continued.

~~...~~

As Wraith and the others made their way down the passageways, they followed the glow of the red-and-green light that pierced through the entire mountain. Wraith, Lilith and Tina had to wince to keep from being blinded by the sudden lights filling the mountain city.

"What's wrong, Mr. Wraith?" Nellie asked.

"The thing about being dark dragons is that we're able to see much better in darkness than a light dragon." Wraith groaned as he rubbed his eyes. "However, as a trade-off, our eyes are much more sensitive in vibrant lights. It takes longer for us to get used to it."

Blankridge was about to make a witty remark, but then noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, look!" The orange drake shouted as he pointed a talon.

"That's not funny." Tina snapped as she rubbed her eyes.

"No, no." Blankridge shook his head. "I'm talking about THAT!"

One by one, the other dragons looked in the direction Blankridge was talking about. A burst of black-and-white lights were coming from a staircase off to the side of a chamber. Once Wraith was able to see, his eyes widened. He didn't have to recognize the magic to know what it was.

"Is it them?" Lilith asked. "Are they really performing that ritual already? Where did they get the gems?"

"No time for questions." Wraith said as he ran forwards. "Let's go join them, before they hurt themselves!"

~~...~~

Rune and Cyrus moved on to the next part of the ritual. The princes summoned forth a multitude of elemental orbs from within themselves: Fire, Ice, and Lightning came from Rune, while Poison, Wind and Fear emerged from his brother. The orbs floated around the princes, spiraling faster and faster. As this went on, a great, white form emerged from the red pillar. It hung in the air before the princes, slowly taking the shape of a dragon. It's eyes glowed a translucent golden as it watched them.

Roxanne stepped back, watching in awe. She couldn't believe her eyes as the specter floated above the princes, silently watching and waiting. While her back was turned, Roxanne heard someone approaching from behind. She turned around and gasped; Wraith, Lilith and the other younglings were dashing down the passageway to emerge on the platform.

"Wh-What?" Roxanne exclaimed. "How did you all get here so fast?!"

Wraith walked right past Roxanne, instead focusing his gaze on the spectacle of magic. Lilith sat down by the passageway and slumped down so that Emerald could safely slide to the floor. Tina walked over to help her onto all fours.

"What's going on?" Emerald asked, squinting up at the bright magic. "What's that wailing?"

"Uh..." Tina muttered. A shiver crawled up her spine at the sight of all the floating spirits. "It's hard to say?"

"As long as everyone's okay, I'm sure it'll be fine." Lilith said.

Blankridge and Nellie walked up to stand before Roxanne. Nellie didn't seem to be mad at her for the incident anymore... or at least she put it aside for now. Blankridge, however, glared right at Roxanne, who grimaced and stepped back.

"I can't believe you three ran off ahead!" Blankridge exclaimed. "...Without ME!"

"Blank!" Nellie snapped. "Where are your priorities?!"

"Hey, can you blame me for wanting to be here when the action happens?" Blankridge shrugged. Nellie answered him with a slap to the back of the head. Roxanne chuckled nervously. She just wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"By the Ancestors..." Wraith finally said, his eyes wide as he beheld the floating specter.

"Is that...?" Tina began to ask.

"Lady Elenar?" Lilith answered for her, also watching the spectacle.

After all of the chatter, Rune and Cyrus finally broke their concentration and glanced behind themselves. Rune was confused, while Cyrus was overjoyed.

"I knew you guys would show up when the magic began!" Cyrus grinned. He turned to motion up at everything that was going on. "We're doing it! We're actually doing it!"

Wraith's eyes drifted between the two princes. He gasped as his eyes befell Prince Rune, standing attentive to perform the ritual. But he quickly looked away in an attempt to contain his excitement.

Rune and Cyrus concentrated their attention on the plasma-like mass of energy. Their elemental orbs floated downwards and connected with the energy, which filled the chamber with a rainbow of light. The specter floated down from above to connect with the energy.

As Rune tried to focused, he felt the stinging sensation at the back of his head again. Once again, his wings felt heavier and his eyes tried to force themselves shut. Light-headedness overcame him, and he shifted and wobbled in place.

"Oh no..." Rune muttered. He took several quick breaths to forces himself to stay awake. Not now... Not now!"

"Rune, what's wrong?" Cyrus asked. "Are you feeling tired again?"

"N-No..." Rune quickly said. "I'm F-fine."

 _ **Don't stop now.**_ The Chronicler's voice said. _**You're so close, young dragon. Just keep at it a little while longer.**_

"I know, Chronicler." Rune said aloud.

"Chronicler?" Wraith repeated curiously.

The princes created more elemental orbs, which rose up into the air to spiral around the glowing specter. The plasma-like mass combined with the white energy of the spirit. The elemental orbs swirled about the spirit, ready to enter its chest...

"STOP!" A great voice bellowed from above.

Rune and Cyrus gasped in surprise, as did most of the other dragons. The princes looked up in time to see a great purple sphere come flying out of the geyser of light. It flew around the chamber quick as a flash before crashing to a stop upon the platform just behind the princes. The sphere burst in a gust of wind, revealing the form of a tall, black dragon. Rune and Cyrus couldn't believe their eyes.

King Bane stood before them.

"F-Father?" Rune asked in bewilderment.

"King Bane!" Wraith and Lilith exclaimed in unison.

~~...~~

Bane looked down at his two sons. For but a brief moment, Bane's eyes filled with relief that the two princes were alive and well. But it immediately gave way to anger as the king forcibly shoved both of them to the side walls with a burst of wind. As they collapsed upon the floor, the ritual came to an abrupt halt. The white specter hung in the air, partially combined with the plasma-like mass.

"HEY!" Cyrus shouted as he jumped to his feet. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Stopping you from making a huge mistake." The king said coldly. After inspecting the white spirit, he turned to glare down at Cyrus. "You are in a world of trouble, Cyrus. What possessed you to think it was a good idea to run away to the Well of Souls? Dangerous magic lurks here, foolish boy."

Cyrus started panting. He looked between Bane and the floating white specter. He glared at Bane through teary eyes.

"I was trying to do the right thing." Cyrus said, stepping forwards. "You were going to destroy the lives of so many light dragons. You wouldn't listen to anyone, Dad. The only person you ever listened to was... was MOM."

"Cyrus..." Bane said with a frown. He stepped forwards towards Cyrus, but the prince backed away from him.

"I'm not sorry for coming here!" Cyrus shouted at Bane. "I'm NOT sorry for trying to stop you! You think I'm the only one who thinks you're wrong for what you've done?! Wraith and Lilith agreed with me!" Cyrus stamped his forepaws. "They came with me to find dragons to perform the revival ritual, and that's what we did!"

"They did, did they?" Bane sneered. He turned around to look at the other occupants of the platform. Sure enough, Wraith and Lilith stood on the other side. The crimson drake in particular was bowing forwards, a look of fear on his face. But what puzzled Bane was the sight of several younglings. The only one he recognized was Lilith's daughter Tina All of the younglings were frozen in fear of the black king. He frowned in pity for a moment, before shifting into anger.

"Younglings?" Bane shouted incredulously. He glared down at Wraith and stomped forwards. "Am I to understand that not ONLY did you two go behind my back and keep my son hidden from me, but you ALSO endangered the lives of children?!"

Wraith was blubbering some kind of apology, while Lilith stood tall to look the king in the eyes.

"Yes, Your Highness." Lilith said, unflinching. "We brought these children here because we thought it was the safer alternative to abandoning them to their fate in Warfang. And yes, we intended to enlist their aid in reviving Queen Elenar."

Bane glared back at Lilith. Though her honesty was refreshing, it did little to quell his anger.

"I am well aware that we have committed treachery against you, my king." Lilith continued. "But I still believe we acted for the good of all the dragon realms."

"How nice." Bane sneered. "But nevertheless, Lilith, you have betrayed my trust by-"

The king's ear frills twitched at the sound of magic roaring to life. He spun around in time to see Cyrus standing before the mass of plasma, struggling to continue the ritual.

"I... I can do this..." Cyrus panted as he created another orb. "It's almost done..."

"Get away from there!" Bane roared. He stomped across the way and forcibly pulled Cyrus backwards from the energy.

"LET ME GO!" Cyrus screamed. He spun around to bite and claw at Bane's forelimbs. The king used all of his might to drag Cyrus off to the side and pin him down on the floor. Cyrus snarled and thrashed in vain to get away.

"No!" Cyrus shouted, his eyes on the magic. Bit by bit, the plasma-like mass was fading away into nothingness. The white spirit drifted back to the geyser of green light. "The magic! If it lingers for too long, the ritual will fail!"

"It's just as well." Bane said in his cold tone again. Cyrus hissed and snarled, but it did nothing to free him from the king's grip. Eventually, the prince stopped struggling, and he sniffled.

"Why?!" Cyrus shouted, his eyes teary. "Why won't you let me do this?! Why won't you let me bring my mother back?!"

Bane looked down at his son with a pit in his stomach. The king couldn't help but feel remorse as Cyrus cried upon the stone floor. He looked back at the mass of energy as it broke apart more and more.

"I do this because I have to." Bane said, running a forepaw through Cyrus. "You've been made a fool, Cyrus. It's for the good of everyone that-"

"The good of everyone?!" Cyrus snapped. "You're just going to KILL most of the dragons left. You're just stopping me from bringing back Mother because you know she'd be ASHAMED of you!"

Bane bent his head low. Part of him felt that Cyrus was right. What would Elenar think of him now to see the destruction he'd wrought on the city of Warfang? The dragon realms had been dealt a serious wound, one that wouldn't heal easily... But even with all of that in mind, the king couldn't let his sons perform the ritual and revive...

Wait... Bane's eyes went wide. What about Rune?

An answer came when several of the younglings gasped at something. The king let go of Cyrus and spun around, just in time for a wave of purple magic to collide with them. Both Bane and Cyrus were thrown against the wall, pain spiking through their bodies.

"Wh... What...?" Bane asked through a groan. He looked over to where Rune landed, and gasped.

"Rune...?" Cyrus asked weakly.

Rune stood up, but his eyes were completely glazed over. He said nothing as he spread out his legs and created multiple elemental orbs once again.

"No!" Bane shouted. He tried to charge at his son, but was knocked back by another ripple of purple magic. Bane looked down upon Rune in surprise. "Convexity?!"

The entire chamber began to tremble. The white spirit floated up above the dragons' heads. It twitched and shook violently as it grew in size. The white, translucent outline turned became an opaque, purple hue. All the light of the chamber seemed to be sucked from its place of origins and into the specter's body.

"What's happening?" Emerald exclaimed.

Before any of the dragons could do anything else, they were forced backwards away from the specter. The magic stopped fading away as some unseen force took hold of it. Elemental orbs came from Rune's body and circled around the spirit.

Bane forced himself onto his feet and fought with all his might to step towards Rune. But every step the king took felt like he was fighting against a raging tornado. His talons scratched the ground as he tried to keep hold.

"Rune, stop!" He shouted. "You don't now what you're doing!"

The elemental orbs spun faster and faster as the purple specter floated down to the ground. The many spirits that drifted through the air flew faster as well, before diving downwards into the purple one's body. When it connected with the floor, there was a flash of light.

 _ **"Escape..."**_ A voice spoke aloud, sending chills through the gathered dragons. Not even the black king was immune. _**"At long last, escape!"**_

When the light faded away, the specter had split into two unequal halves, which took the shape of dragons. The smaller dragon was feminine in shape. Her "neck" was held in the grasp of the larger dragon. The male spirit was the largest dragon any of the younglings had ever seen. His body was cloaked almost entirely in darkness, even though shades of a purple light shine through the "cracks" of the cloaked. The only definite part that the other dragons could see were his sickening, yellow eyes.

"No..." Bane said quietly. That voice... those eyes... he only encountered them one other time, but he never forgot.

The great, purple dragon looked down with disdain at the female in his grasp. He lifted her up to stare into her unconscious eyes.

 _ **"A deal is a deal, Elenar."**_ The dragon said coldly. _**"You are free to go."**_

Elenar? Bane's eyes went wide in disbelief. He had little time to comprehend this as the large dragon tossed Elenar to the side. She lay unmoving on the floor, the light piercing through her spirit. The massive dragon turned his gaze down to Rune, who still stood in his trance-like state. The purple dragon gave a reptilian laugh as the youngling looked up at him with glazed-over eyes.

 _ **"You've served me well, young dragon**_." He said with a sickening glee _ **. "Perhaps you should be rewarded."**_

"Get away from my son, you BASTARD!" Bane roared.

The purple dragon's attention was drawn just as the black king unleashed a blast of flames upon him. The purple dragon didn't even flinch as the flames tore through his cloak of shadows. Bane and the others were able to see, in vivid detail, the horrific scars and malformations allover the dragon's body. The younglings screamed when they saw the dragon's face... no, it wasn't even recognizable as a face.

Soon the flames died away, and the dragon's shadows surrounded his body again. He glanced down to the plasma-like mass of energy. The last bits of it drifted upwards and infused with the purple drake's form.

"You..." Bane glared and gnashed his fangs. "What ARE you?"

 _ **"Have you all forgotten so easily?"**_ The purple dragon asked as he stepped forwards. _**"Did no stories survive? Look on, hatchlings, for you have witnessed the rebirth of Malefor."**_

"Malefor?!" Wraith and Lilith shouted in unison.

"What have you done to my brother and Mother?!" Cyrus shouted, finally having worked up the nerve to approach the purple drake.

 _ **"Ah, you mean these two**_?" Malefor looked between them with what the dragons guessed was a smirk. _**"They played their parts well enough. Do not fret, little black dragons. You may reclaim Elenar, while I reclaim my world. But the one called Rune shall be staying under my control"**_

"NO!" Cyrus and Blankridge shouted together. They charged forwards, to the adult dragons' horror.

"Stop, you fools!" Bane yelled.

Cyrus unleashed a blast of wind, while Blankridge spat out orange flames. But before they could reach Malefor, they slammed against a wall of purple magic that sprang forth instantly. They crashed to the ground as Malefor laughed above them.

 _ **"Adorable."**_ He said. The purple dragon then stepped backwards into the swirling elemental orbs. _**"The time has come to complete the rebirth!"**_

Malefor allowed the elemental orbs to surround himself and enter his form. But halfway through the transformation, the orbs started twitching wildly. Some broke apart, while others flew off wildly in random directions.

 _ **"What?"**_ Malefor looked around angrily at the magic. He tried to will it together, but it wouldn't obey his commands. His spirit started shaking erratically, as if another unseen force was tearing him apart. The magic grew unstable, flowing around Malefor uncontrollably. It pierced through his "body" several times. Malefor snarled in rage as he tried to force it back under his control.

The sounds of magic exploding echoed throughout the chamber as the energy slowly built up and pulsed violently. It drew on Malefor's on power. And in all the commotion, Rune was stirred from his trance.

Something drew Rune to Malefor, though he didn't know what it was. As he approached, the energy pulsed faster and faster... until it finally exploded into a mass of purple energy. The explosion engulfed Rune, Malefor, and even Elenar. A blinding purple flash filled the chamber. Rune was thrown backwards against the wall before crashing to the ground. Malefor unleashed a sickening scream of rage that pierced through the dragons.

Eventually the light faded away. Everyone could see again, and what they saw made them reel backwards in shock. The floating spirits and the geyser of green light had disappeared. Rune and Elenar still lay unconscious on either side of the chamber. Elenar wasn't just a spirit anymore; she had regained a new and complete body. At the edge of the platform was Malefor, standing taller than any other dragon. Three large horns crowned his head, and his eyes were still a sickly yellow.

Malefor stood up tall and several deep breaths. He looked down upon the dragons with a hideous joy.

"Finally, I have returned." He said triumphantly. His voice had lost the incorporeal feel, but it was just as menacing as ever.

"No..." Cyrus muttered in horror. "This wasn't supposed to happen..."

"But it has." Malefor laughed. "Your whole family has done their part to bring me back to this world. Perhaps if you and your little friends there bow down before me, I'll spare your-"

A great blast of convexity came flying out of Bane's maw. The black king clutched his crystal in his talons and glared upon Malefor in rage. The purple dragon was cut off, but withstood the blast. He snarled upon the black dragon, and the two faced off.

"No one will ever bow to YOU!" Bane roared, spreading his wings out. As the black king charged up his magic, Wraith and Lilith ran up to either side of him with magic of their own in their maws.

Malefor glared at each of the tree in turn. "Very well, Mortals."

The purple dragon leaned back and opened his maw wide. He inhaled a great breath of air as he called upon the deadly magic on convexity. But just before Malefor could unleash his attack, his eyes went wide with pain. Purple lightning suddenly erupted allover his body, from head to tail. Malefor fell backwards onto the floor as a beam of convexity left his maw. Bane and the Deep Shadows ducked as the beam flew overhead, almost grazing their manes in the process. The convexity continued on its path, eventually striking the stone wall and blasting a large hole in it.

During the attack, Malefor's scales shifted into pure energy on parts of his body before returning to normal again. The purple dragon snarled in rage and pain as he stood up again, struggling to regain his composure.

Bane stood there, dumbstruck. He glanced between Wraith and Lilith, who were just as confused. The attack was deadly, to be sure, but had Malefor only weakened himself in the process?

"What in the world...?" Lilith asked curiously.

Malefor snarled. He tried attacking again with a wave of Convexity, only to cripple himself once again. Bane and the others stepped back out of harm's way as the wave passed harmlessly over their heads. Malefor snarled in rage. Despite his menacing appearance, it was clear that he was alarmed that he'd lost control over his own power. Bane and his Deep Shadows were just as confused as he was, for a moment. But then Wraith's eyes lit up.

"Y-Your Highness...?" Wraith whispered to the black king.

"What?" Bane whispered back with a glare.

"I think I know what's happened, sire. You see, the ritual was only supposed to revive one dragon at a time. The gems usually need to match the dragon in power equally."

"Why would I care to know this, Wraith?" Bane glared. "Did you forget how you've gone behind my back by...?"

But as the king spoke, it suddenly dawned on him what Wraith was getting at. He glanced over to Elenar, and then at Malefor.

"You'd best stop whispered before you rouse my ire, little dragons." Malefor snarled and stood up tall.

Wraith stepped forwards and pointed a talon at Malefor.

"If the stories are true, you are... or rather, where... a very powerful dragon indeed. Far more powerful than most dragons today, nowadays. But when you intervened in the ritual to revive the Queen, you tried bonding with the power held in the gems. There were only so many gems available. And while there was enough for the late queen's body, there couldn't be enough for YOU." Wraith spread his wings out wide. "When the power of the gems tried to combine with you, the energy became unstable and spilled allover the place!"

"I grow tired of your mouthing off." Malefor demanded. "What are you getting at?!"

"Because there wasn't enough gems to grant you a perfect body, the ritual drew on your own natural energy as a sort of substitute. So, even though you have a new body, it's tied to your Convexity. And every time you use it, your body becomes unstable. In other words..."

"Get to the point, you crimson slug."

Wraith had to hold back a laugh. "You if you want to stay alive, you have to refrain from using Convexity. Otherwise, you'll tear yourself apart!"

For a brief moment, it seemed like Malefor was surprised... maybe even afraid. But it was quickly washed away in a wave of anger.

"You LIE!" Malefor roared. He reeled back and unleashed a convexity beam again. As the attack went flying, Bane and the Deep Shadows dodged out of the way. Purple lightning danced across Malefor's scales once again, and he snarled in paid as he body briefly broke apart.

"Damnation!" Malefor bellowed. "I may not be as powerful I as once was, but don't think for a moment that I am some helpless weakling! Lost power can be regained, and strength can always be renewed. I am eternal, now and forever!"

"Uh..." Roxanne said nervously. "Maybe we should do something?"

"Be calm, child." Bane said to the yellow youngling. He then turned towards Malefor with a glare. "You won't leave this mountain alive, Malefor."

"You dare threaten me?" Malefor scowled. "I have the power to draw upon the energy that floats in the very air. Soon enough, I, the Dark Master, shall rain vengeance upon you!"

"There is only room for ONE Dark Master in the dragon realms." Bane declared. He looked between the Deep Shadows. "Take the children and get back!"

"But what about your family?" Lilith asked. Bane followed her gaze to where Rune and Elenar still lay unconscious on either side of Malefor.

"I'll gather them up once I've stopped him." Bane said. "Just go, now!"

Wraith and Lilith nodded yes and turned towards the younglings. They hurriedly scooted them towards the exit. Lilith took the time to scoop up Emerald and drape her over her back once again.

Cyrus gave an odd look to his father. The prince had been quite upset at almost having his ritual stopped... and yet he was remorseful that he'd accidentally revived an evil dragon. Unable to say anything, Cyrus looked down at the ground and walked away in silence.

Bane faced off against Malefor, both dragons glaring. Malefor took a moment to charge up his energy, presumably for another attack. Bane stepped forwards and surrounded himself with a shield of convexity. The king didn't think he would have to expend too much of his power. After all, Malefor had proven to be impulsive; he'd likely be a crumpled heap on the ground after a few attacks.

"You're a dead dragon." Malefor snarled.

Bane only snorted and kept his shield powered up, waiting for the first volley. But before either dragon could attack, a massive wall of purple energy appeared between them.

"What...?" Bane asked, taken off guard.

"What is this?" Malefor exclaimed.

As the wall of convexity faded into nothingness, a faint laughter filled the room. "Heh, heh, heh..."

The eight dragons at the passageway came to a stop and turned around.

"Hey, doesn't that sound like...?" Blankridge began.

"Rune?" Nellie asked curiously.

Everyone turned their gaze to where Rune lay this whole time. He had finally risen to his paws, and was facing towards the Well of Souls.

"Heh, heh, heh..." He chuckled again, this time louder. "I'm not tired anymore."

"Rune?" Bane asked with worried.

"I'm as awake as I've ever been." Rune said. He turned around to face his father. Rune's eyes were shut, but he was grinning widely. "As a matter of fact..."

The prince opened his eyes, and everyone gasped. This whites of his eyes had turned a sickening yellow. His pupils were thin and reptilian, just like Malefor's. When Rune laughed again, his limbs twitched as purple lightning danced across his body.

"...I've never felt so ALIVE!" Rune shouted. A purple aura surrounded his body at the last word.

"No..." Bane's eyes widened at the sight. "The explosion... it must have..."

Rune walked around the chamber, staying a certain distance away from Malefor. With every step he took, part of the scales around his eyes changed from midnight-black to snowy-white.

"Rune, listen to me..." Bane said with worry. "Whatever's happened, this isn't you!"

"Yes it is!" Rune declared. "This is incredible! I've never felt this powerful in my life! I could do ANYTHING with it!" The rest of Rune's head changed to white, and it spread to his neck.

"I don't have to worry about nightmares ever again! I can go anywhere! Do anything!" Most of Rune's torso had changed to white, and his limbs started changing in turn.

"It doesn't matter who I was anymore! Why worry about old memories when I can carve NEW ONES across the dragon realms!"

Rune came to a stop and tilted his head up. He took a quick breath and unleashed a blast of purple flames into the air. The rest of his body was completely white at this point. The glyphs on his body changed from blue to a fiery, blood-red.

"And it's all thanks to you, 'Chronicler'." Rune said as he turned to face Malefor. Rune bowed his head. "You've made me into a REAL dragon!"

"Rune, get away from him!" Bane shouted. He reached out to grab his son, only for another wall of convexity to separate them. Bane gasped in surprise for a moment, but quickly attempted to tear through the barrier with his own convexity.

"Well, well, well..." Malefor grinned as he looked down at the transformed youngling. "It seems you're still of great use to me."

"RUNE!" The younglings all shouted. Curious, the prince turned around to see his friends running up to the edge of the barrier, all of them quite horrified.

"Rune, this isn't you!" Nellie shouted.

"It's just Malefor's weirdo-magic talking through you!" Blankridge insisted.

Rune glared back at them. "Are you two going to try holding me down again, like you did back in Glenhaven?"

"What?" Nellie's eyes went wide. "We weren't holding you back. We wanted to come with you on your adventure to keep you safe."

"Oh, and you did SUCH a good job." Rune scoffed. "You couldn't just leave me to travel on my own. You had to stick your snouts into my business!"

"Rune, don't be like that!" Emerald exclaimed. Even if she couldn't see, the green dragoness still stood beside the other younglings. "Please, we came all this way to help you."

"Oh, please!" Rune snapped. "You did nothing but complain and whine and moan for the entire journey! If you hated every minute of it, you should have just STAYED HOME, like the good-little-brat you are."

"But.. But Rune..." Emerald stammered as she stepped back. "I came because you're my friend. That's why we ALL came with you."

"Well, I didn't want any of you to waste my time by coming with me at all!" Rune snarled. "All any of you did was complain and bicker and argue and slow down my journey!"

"...Even me?" Roxanne asked quietly

Rune turned to glare at Roxanne, only for his anger to vanish in an instant. Roxanne had tears in her eyes. The white dragon froze in place, guilt and sadness overtaking him.

"N... Not you." Rune said, his voice normal again. "I... I wanted you by my side. When you're with me... I feel happy. I..." For a moment, Rune's eyes shifted back to normal. He was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry... I don't ever want to make you cry, Roxanne. I..."

"Rune, please get away from Malefor." Cyrus pleaded. "He's using you!"

Rune gasped. He turned his gaze towards his brother, which finally broke him into crying.

"Cyrus..." Rune muttered. "My brother..."

Rune stood still as his scattered memories of childhood returned to him. A terrible pain erupted in his heart. The prince shielded his face with a wing as he cried miserably.

"What's wrong with you?" Malefor demanded. "Stop crying!"

"Rune, please..." Bane finally spoke again. The king had been tearing small holes in the barrier this entire time. "Get away from Malefor. I can help you. Everything will be alright if you just-"

"SHUT UP!" Rune suddenly shouting, startling the group. Rune spread out his forelegs as he moved his wing from his face to glare at the king. The prince's eyes had turned demonic once again.

"YOU were never around to give a damn!" Rune snarled. "Why should I listen to you NOW?!"

"Because you're still my son!" Bane shouted as he tore another hole in the barrier. "I lost you once, I won't lose you again! Now GET AWAY FROM MALEFOR!"

Rune snarled. He turned around to look up at the purple dragon. "We've wasted enough time here, Master. A new world awaits for you to destroy."

Malefor grinned. "Then take us away from here, my apprentice."

Rune turned around yet again and waved a forepaw in the air. He summoned a mass of energy to create a large portal for himself and the purple drake.

"NO!" Bane screamed. He used all of his magic and might to tear open the portal and leap across.

Before anyone else could react, there was an explosion of purple light. The younglings screamed in fright and scrambled backwards. When the light faded, the barrier of convexity had vanished. And Rune, Bane and Malefor were gone as well.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" Wraith and Lilith screamed. They ran forwards to investigate the area.

"Where did they go?" Lilith exclaimed.

"I... I don't know." Wraith stammered. "They could have gone ANYWHERE."

The younglings gathered together in the center of the platform. Most of them were crying.

"H-How could he say such things?" Nellie asked.

"It was like Rune was a completely different dragon!" Blankridge shouted.

"My brother..." Cyrus said, sniffling. "I finally find him again, and then he becomes a monster!"

"Now, my prince, please remain calm..." Lilith said. She stepped forwards and draped a wing over his back. "Everything will be alright."

As the group was trying to keep themselves calm, there was a flash of light behind them. Everyone turned towards the passage in alarm as voices shouted out.

"This way!" An old voice called.

Wraith and Lilith exchanged curious glances as the strangers approached. A group of six dragons stepped out onto the platform. Two of them were Albanion and Elza, three were light dragon Guardians, and the last one was...

"It can't be!" Wraith's eyes widened.

~~...~~

"Mom? Dad?" Blankridge and Nellie asked in unison.

"Blankridge! Nellie!" Seraph exclaimed as she ran to her children. She hugged them to her chest for a moment, tears in her eyes. But then she backed up and glared down at them. "Do you two have any idea how much stress you've put us through?! What were you two thinking coming all the way out here?!"

Nellie and Blankridge exchanged sad expressions. Their faces drooped, unable to look at their mother.

"I'm just glad you're alright..." Hontus said as he approached his family. He looked between his children's faces with concern. That's when he realized someone was missing. "Wait, where is Rune?"

The mention of Rune's name made Blankridge and Nellie start crying. Seraph and Hontus looked at each other with dread.

"Emerald!" Jules shouted as he emerged from the passageway.

"Daddy?" The green dragoness asked as she looked towards his voice.

"Emerald, we're going to have a-" Jules stopped and his eyes went wide in horror as he beheld his daughter's face. "By the Ancestors! EMERALD!" The captain ran to his daughter and wrapped his forelegs about her. He shut his eyes as he cried with his daughter. "Where are you spectacles?! What happened to your face?!"

"Daddy, I... I..." Emerald collapsed against his chest. "I'm sorry!"

Jules held Emerald close and rocked back in forth in place. He just couldn't comprehend what had happened to his daughter.

Roxanne looked around at her friends. Quite inexplicably, all of them had their parents come to them. All except for her. Not only was she the only lowborn dragon, she was the only one left alone. She walked over to a side of the wall and collapsed onto her haunches so she could quietly cry under a wing.

~~...~~

Across the way, Cyrus looked between Albanion and Elza, surprised and worried.

"Thank the Ancestors you're alright." Elza leaned down to nuzzle Cyrus's forehead. "You've had us worried sick."

"Hey..." Cyrus looked away, trying his best not to blush. "Quit it, Aunt Elza..."

Albanion smiled for but a brief moment. Then he looked up and glared between Wraith and Lilith.

"So... you two really DID intend to bring the prince to the Well of Souls." Albanion said.

"N-Now just listen a moment, Sir." Wraith said awkwardly as he backed up against a wall. "The K-King already chewed us out for it. We don't need to be grilled again!"

"You don't sound sorry."

"Please, you need to just hear things from our point of view." Lilith said. "We believed Cyrus was right when-"

"It's too late for that!" An old voice shouted. Everyone turned to look as the aged black dragon hobbled forwards from the passageway. "Can't you see that they're gone?! We've come too late!"

Cyrus gasped at the sight of the black dragon. He stared in awe as the old drake ran up to the dragoness, who still lay unconscious. Tears welled up in the prince's eyes, and he couldn't help but go after the old drake.

"G... Grandpa?" Cyrus asked. "Grandpa Urobos?"

The old dragon came to a stop in his tracks. He looked back at the young prince with an odd mix of joy and sadness.

"Aye, Cyrus." Urobos nodded. "It's me."

"You..." Cyrus ran forwards and grabbed onto one of Urobos's fat wings. "How? When did you...? How did you...? Oh, I don't care!"

Urobos sighed as he pulled his grandson closer to wrap him in a hug. "I've missed you, Cyrus. You and your brother."

"Why didn't you tell me you were alive, grandpa?!" Cyrus demanded. "Why couldn't you have come sooner?!"

"Please, calm down..." Urobos said. "I'll explain everything to you later. but rest assured, this isn't over. Wherever Rune has gone, I promise you that he'll be brought back, safe and sound."

At that moment, a weak voice spoke out from out of nowhere. "Rune? ...Cyrus?"

All the other dragons looked over towards the voice. The dragoness was finally stirring from her slumber. She tried to force herself onto her paws so she could look around.

"Mother!" Cyrus cried out.

Elenar's eyes widened and she followed the voice. "Cyrus."

Cyrus ran over to hug his mother's foreleg, not caring if he cried like a hatchling. Elenar smiled down at him, returning the hug with a wing. The Guardians and their children looked on in awe as the Deep Shadows ran forwards to greet their queen. Wraith and Lilith helped her stand up on her own forepaws; they had to pry the prince off of Elenar so she could stand upright.

"Thank you." She said to them.

"It's our pleasure, your majesty." Wraith and Lilith bowed their heads.

Elenar turned towards Albanion and Elza. The two of them were also on the verge of tears, though not to the extend of the prince. They tried to stay silent as they saluted to her.

Elenar frowned. "Come on, is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"We're sorry, my queen." Albanion said as he tried to remain stoic. "It's just... hard to take in."

Elza couldn't even find words. She stepped forwards and held Elenar in a tight hug, her body shaking. "Sister..."

Elenar shed a few tears herself as she embraced the hug. She then glanced over at Urobos as he stepped forwards.

"Welcome back, Elenar." Urobos said with a smile. "For better or worse, the ritual was completed. At least we have you back with us."

"Thank you, Urobos." Elenar bowed her head. "But... please tell me: Where is my husband? And what's become of Rune"

Urobos had a sullen expression on his face. "You had best try to get comfortable, my dear. You're not going to like this."

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

Great Googly-Moogly, I didn't think this chapter would be THIS long. It's never my intent to make them longer than they need to be: I usually shoot for 9000-ish, you know? But low and behold, this one extended to over 13,000! And because of that, it came late again. It makes me wonder if I should reschedule to compensate...

But, for better or worse, Malefor has been resurrected. I'll bet only half of you saw it coming. Oh well. And Rune's been driven insane, becoming his puppet in the process. Will King Bane be able to save his son? Will Malefor take over the dragon realms? Who knows? (I do. XD)

See you next time!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas._


	32. Act 3, Chapter 5

Bane came to a hard crash in the middle of a valley. The heat of the magic was so great that it melted all of the snow in a wide radius around him. The air was thick with a cloud of black and purple smoke from the teleportation. The black king forced himself onto his feet to look around.

Malefor and Rune were across the way, also recovering from the teleportation. The purple dragon took in long, deep breaths before stepping forwards. Malefor's spotted Bane across the valley and gave a low chuckle.

"So, you've managed to tag along." Malefor said. "How brave of you, oh king."

Though the king was out of breath, he did his best to maintain his composure. He stood up tall and glared right into Malefor's sickly eyes.

"You have made a grave error in taking my son from me, purple one." The king said in his cold and calculated voice. "Release your hold on him and surrender, or you'll face the full wrath of the Dark Master."

" **I** am Dark Master!" Malefor snarled. "But if you want your son so badly, then I'll GLADLY give him to you!" The purple dragon glared down at Rune. "KILL HIM!"

Rune spread his white wings out and sprang into a fighting stance. "Yes, Master."

"Rune, stand down!" Bane shouted.

"I don't take orders from YOU." Rune hissed.

"I don't want to hurt you." Bane said. "You're still my son."

But it was no use. Rune came charging forwards, an aura of convexity springing into life around him.

The first thing Bane tried was leaping out of the way and summoning up a series of vines and branches. The plants all reached out for Rune in an attempt to tire him down. But Rune dodged away from most of them, and the few that got too close were set ablaze with purple fire. But Bane wasn't deterred. He instead switched to sinking down into a pool of darkness. The king slid across the ground and attempted to grab Rune through the youngling's shadow.

At one point Bane managed to grab Rune's ankle and began pulling him down into the darkness. The youngling thrashed and growled as he tried to break free, but the king's grip was mightier. So Rune did the one thing that came to mind; Setting all of his own scales ablaze with flames of convexity. Bane summoned his own aura of convexity to try counter-acting the fire. But the young dragon's convexity burned much brighter than Bane anticipated; he had no choice but to let his son go so he could dodge away.

 _His power is greater than I anticipate_ d Bane rose up from his shadow on the other side of the valley. _I need to think of something if I'm to detain him._

"You have quite the fight in you, oh king." Malefor snorted. "Perhaps you're in need of a better challenge." The purple dragon turned his head towards Rune, who rushed to stand at his side. "Now, my apprentice; summon up my minions!"

"Yes, Master." Rune said. Bane watched with a glare as Rune spread his limbs out and channeled his magic. A swirling vortex of purple and black shadows emerged from Rune's paws. And from the pool of energy came at least a dozen crepsculi, all snarling and hissing.

"So, you wish to fight like this, then?" Bane sighed. The black king called upon his own magic to create a pool of his own. It wasn't long before the king had a dozen of his own crepsculi at his side, each one easily dwarfing any of the Rune's.

Bane and Malefor stood watching in silence as the two swarms of crepsculi did battle in the valley. The air was filled with hisses, shrieks and howls as the monsters tore each other limb from limb. There was no strategy to be found, no tactics... just two packs of animals destroying one another.

As the monsters fought on, Rune grew more and more agitated. He clawed at the ground, tearing holes in the dirt.

"I can't take the waiting!" Rune shouted. He leaped forwards into the fray, talons extended and fire in his maw.

Bane's eyes widened at Rune's ferocity. He wanted to step forwards to stop the young, but then a thought occurred to him. Bane looked up at the sky. The Twin Moons were dangerously close to finishing their alignment.

 _It won't be long now_ , Bane sighed. _There's no telling how the eclipse will affect Rune and Malefor... but at least I know how it'll affect ME._

Bane looked forwards and glared at Malefor, who seemed to enjoy watching Rune attack the crepsculi. The black king rumbled in his throat. _As much as I want to attack him, I have to stall. I have to keep this going until the Eternal Night._

And thus did the king begin forming a plan...

~~...~~

Elenar stood facing the Well of Souls as she struggled to come to terms with what Urobos told her. Her whole body shivered with dread. It was her fault, of course. Even if none of the others with her could have known, she knew what she'd done.

But she couldn't cry. Tears wouldn't help her situation. So, after taking a long breath, Elenar stood up tall, just she'd done so many years ago. She turned around and sat on her haunches in the most regal way she could. She took a moment to look around at everyone who sat with her in the belly of Mount Erebus.

To Elenar's left was her immediate family. Urobos stood waiting with Cyrus under his wing. The old drake was still trying to calm his grandson down from his shock. Off to the side was Elza, who had always been like a sister to the princess of shadows. Beside her was Albanion, like always. He held a cold face, but his bewildered eyes betrayed him.

Further down the platform were three Guardians from Glenhaven. They were currently scolding their younglings, whom Urobos told her had gotten in over their heads by getting involved in the whole Revival Ritual ordeal. The ones responsible for getting them involved were Wraith and Lilith, who waited quietly off to the right. The former was someone Elenar barely knew, while the latter was a stranger. Though this Lilith was a mother as well, as she held the youngling Tina under her wing.

Wraith in particular was deep into concentration. He was working towards tracing the teleportation spell that Bane, Rune and Malefor had all used earlier. Wraith believed it to be shadow magic, which he was a master of. Elenar hoped that Wraith would be successful before it was too late.

"Everyone..." Elenar said calmly. "Can I please have your attention?"

All of the dragons stopped what they were doing and looked towards her. Elenar took a breath and outstretched her wings.

"From what I understand, all of you have been involved in harrowing journeys." The princess said. "A lot has happened in my absence. And while I'm grateful to have my body restored, I regret that dragons so young had to get involved in Malefor's trickery."

Hontus and Seraph exchanged glances. Seraph stepped forwards and took a breath. "You are... Rune's birth-mother, yes?"

"Yes." Elenar bowed her head. "I am Elenar, former princess of the shadow dragons. How do you know Rune?"

"These two are the ones who took Rune in as their own." Urobos said with a ruffle of his wings.

"That's right." Hontus nodded. "We kept a close watch on him since he was a cub. I... I never thought we'd ever meet his real parents, considering..." The red drake scratched behind his neck. "Well..."

"Whatever the case, it's an honor to meet you, milady." Seraph bowed her head. "I just wish it could have been in... better circumstances."

"Yes... Indeed." Elenar bit her lower lip. This was an unpleasant topic of discussion; it was best to move on.. "How is it that you arrived in the Mountain of Malefor so quickly?"

"That was my doing." Urobos said. He stepped forth and nodded his head. "Lord Spyro had wished to bring them to the White Isle so that they could understand current events. When we sense the revival ritual beginning, we wasted no time teleporting here."

"Lord Spyro?" Elenar repeated curiously. "You spoke with him?"

Urobos grimaced. "Let's save that topic for when times are more peaceful, Elenar."

Elenar was unconvinced. Urobos had spoken to the spirit of Spyro directly? When had he gained such power? Had he met with Lady Cynder as well? There was so much that Elenar had missed in the last six years, during...

"AHA!" Wraith exclaimed, breaking Elenar's train of thought. She and all the others turned their attention towards the crimson drake, who was giddily clasping his forepaws together. "Milady, I've done it! I've figured out where they've gone!"

A murmur spread out amongst the crowd.

"Where, then?" Elenar asked, her eyes going wide. "Where are my husband and son?"

"They've ventured out into a valley at least ten miles to the west!" Wraith exclaimed. "If I hurry, I can go after them!"

"You're not going alone." Albanion snapped. The leader of the Deep Shadows stepped up to Wraith and pounded his chest. "We all know the stories about Malefor. He's far too dangerous for any one dragon to face. Even our king is in trouble."

"I'll go as well." Urobos exclaimed.

The Deep Shadows looked at the old drake incredulously.

"My Lord, that's out of the question." Albanion said. "We can't let you risk your life by combating Malefor."

"And I can't just leave my family to suffer because of him." Urobos snapped. "Baneth and Rune need me."

"But Cyrus needs you too." Elza said. "And Elenar, of course."

Elenar grimaced. She looked down at Cyrus, who looked between her and Urobos uneasily. Elenar looked over Urobos's features. He was far from being the High King that he was in his prime. Urobos's body was old and wrinkled. She couldn't feel as strong of a magical presence coming from him like she felt amongst the Guardians and Deep Shadows.

"My Lord Urobos, please stay here." Elenar said.

"What?" Urobos's eyes went wide as he looked at her. "I can't just abandon Baneth and Rune!"

"Urobos, please. I mean no offense to you, but you're in no condition to face off against Malefor yourself."

"But consider the eclipse." Urobos said. "Once the Eternal Night begins, all dark dragons will gain a mighty boost in power."

"That's all the more reason to send the Deep Shadows in your stead." Elenar replied. "It is their duty to fight in the stead of the black dragons, after all."

Urobos stammered for a moment. He was about to speak again, when Cyrus approached and hugged his foreleg. Urobos looked down into Cyrus's wide eyes. "Please don't go, Grandpa."

"I..." Urobos muttered. The old dragon sighed and sat back on his haunches. He draped a wing over Cyrus's back to hug him. "Alright, I'll stay here."

Cyrus happily accepted the hug, while Urobos looked around at the gathered Deep Shadows. "But whoever goes to aid Baneth, please try to make it back."

"I'll go with them to help the king." Elza said.

"Are you sure?" Elenar asked.

Elza looked at the princess of shadows with a face filled with resolve. "I'm happy to have you back, Sister, and I'd love to stay to catch up with you. But I am still a Deep Shadow, and my king needs me."

Albanion nodded to Elza with a smile. The wind dragoness stood beside Albanion with faces of brimming with determination. But as Wraith stood beside them, Elenar could see pain in his eyes as he glanced towards the Guardians.

"What's wrong, Wraith?" Elenar asked.

"Milady... I kind of need to get something off my chest." Wraith grimaced. "It's important that I..."

"Wait a minute, Wraith." Lilith said. the dark-yellow dragoness stepped up to him. "Let me handle it. You go on ahead."

Wraith frowned at her, and then glanced at the Guardians. "But I can't leave until-"

"Our king needs us." Lilith insisted. "You rush to his aid, while I handle the consequences of our actions."

"But... I..." Wraith seemed close to being distraught. He glanced around again before sighing in defeat. "Alright, Lilith. I leave it in your paws."

Lilith tiled her head down and gave Wraith a salute. Wraith returned the gesture and turned towards Albanion and Elza. The three Deep Shadows stepped a short distance away from the other dragons and came to a stop. Wraith began channeling his magic to summon a cloak of shadows around the trio

"May the ancestors guide you all." Urobos said. "Malefor will be a great challenge, even for you and my son combined."

"Thank you, Lord Urobos." Elza said.

"We'll serve you well... Your Highness." Wraith said nervously.

"We won't fail you, no matter what." Albanion added, his voice nearly cracking at the end. With that said, the three Deep Shadows stepped into the portal of darkness. In but a flash, they had vanished.

"That's frightening..." Hontus muttered.

"That's dark magic." Lilith said. She took a deep breath before approaching Hontus and the other Guardians. "Sirs and Lady, on behalf of my partner, I want to offer my most sincerest apologies." Lilith bent her head low. "We put your younglings in danger by bringing them with us to this dreadful place. And as a result, one of the children was harmed in battle."

"Why would you bring our children here in the first place?" Jules glowered. His wing was draped over Emerald's side. "What in the ancestors' names were you THINKING?"

"We did what we thought was best at the time." Lilith frowned. "When we found the younglings in Warfang, we didn't want to risk them being imprisoned with the other children there. So we brought them with us. And at the time, we... well..." She awkwardly tugged at the collar of her cloak. "We wanted to enlist their aid in reviving the prince's mother. We thought that they'd be safest in our care... at least at the time."

Elenar looked between Lilith and the Deep Shadows. None of the parents were at all pleased with Lilith's rationale. Elenar didn't know this dragoness very well, but the look in Lilith's eyes told her that she was at heart a motherly sort, wanting to keep the younglings out of harm's way.

"I don't expect any of you to forgive me." Lilith continued. "But please know, good Sir Jules, that I'm deeply sorry that your daughter came to harm."

Jules glared at Lilith in silence, barely uttering a growl. He turned around and carefully guided Emerald to a secluded corner of the area. Elenar frowned, but thought it best not to address the Guardian. But that's when a thought came to her.

"Excuse me, everyone..." Elenar called out. Once all eyes were on her, the shadowy dragoness cleared her throat. "As long as you're all assembled here, I believe it's best that I explain how and why... HE managed to revive himself."

"That would be quite some useful information, I've got to say." Hontus said. "The one who called himself The Chronicler was rather vague as to what happened back then."

"The only specific detail we got was that Rune..." Seraph's face turned sour. "That Rune **died**."

Elenar shivered. Hontus stepped a bit closer, leaving Seraph to tend to the younglings as they got their rest. Lilith stepped forwards with curiosity, while Cyrus seemed downright miserable. Urobos sat down by Elenar's side, always sympathetic towards the shadowy dragoness's plight.

"As much as I am loathe to remind myself of what happened, I can't leave you all in the dark." Elenar sighed. "I have to take you all back six years, to when I lost my life to the Order of Culmubrae..."

~~...~~

At first there was bright white light all around. But then came the explosion, and the light was consumed by darkness. A moment later, a great many dragons, light and dark alike, fell from the world into the deep abyss. All of them screamed in horror, flailing about uselessly for a way to save themselves.

Elenar couldn't bear to look around at them. She didn't scream. She didn't even let herself cry. There was no escaping her fate. If only her son didn't have to fall with her.

"Momma, I'm scared!" The young Rune said. Elenar held her little cub tightly in her forelegs as they fell. Rune cried and sobbed as he held onto Elenar for support.

As Elenar fell, she could see a wide green light glowing far below. All of the dragons screamed in horror as they fell into the light. With all of her might, Elenar turned herself around so that she could spread out her wings. But there was no flying back up; she could only glide to slow their descent as the others zoomed past them.

"Momma, I wanna go back up!" Rune shouted.

"We can't Rune." Elenar said lowly. She nuzzled his forehead to try to calm him down.

"Wh-Why not?" The youngling looked up at her.

"We..." Elenar stammered. But she throat choked up. She shut her eyes tight to force back tears.

"We're what, Momma?" Rune pleaded. "I don't understand?"

 _How could he understand?_ Elenar moaned internally. _He was so young. So much was ahead of him. I accepted my fate. But why did he have to die with me?_

Richteriel and his accursed Order had taken everything. And now there was no hope. Elenar would never see her children grow up. She would never again look into the eyes of her beloved husband. And she'd never have the chance to set things right with Bergan.

Or so she thought as she fell into the green void.

Elenar felt the rules of gravity change as she entered the Underworld. Rather than falling, Elenar came to a stop and lingered in place as if she were swimming. All around her and Rune were the spirits of countless dragons and non-dragons. They all flew about in seemingly random directions. All across the void were stone platforms, circling around a crystal planetoid far off in the distance.

Elenar held Rune carefully as she "swam" over to one of the stone platforms. She came to a landing, patted her son on the head and looked around. Up above, Elenar could see the passage from which she fell. Several recently-deceased dragons tried to swim back through the passageway, only to be block off by several of the ghosts.

 _"Your lives have ended."_ The ghosts said in unison. " _You now belong to the Underworld. Accept your fate and move on."_

The dragons screamed in defiance before charging at the passageway. But they were powerless before the ghosts, who cast them deeper into the abyss. A shiver ran up Elenar's spine; there was no way she could defeat such a power.

"Momma..." Rune said weakly. "What are we going to do?"

Elenar looked down at the cub. "I... I don't know, little one. I'm so sorry."

Rune sniffled and cried. Elenar laid down on the ground and draped a wing over his back. Though she cried, Elenar nuzzled her son's head to comfort him the best she could. Mother and son were stranded in the Underworld, taken far before their time.

 _ **"Well, well, well."**_ A voice said above them. _**"What have we here? The princess of shadows, trapped in the afterlife?"**_

A terrifying chill passed over Elenar's body. A powerful force of energy surrounded the entire stone platform, blocking out her view of the abyss. Something gripped Elenar's head and forced her to look upwards. Elenar tried in vain to fight back, only to find her limbs paralyzed. Rune cried louder as something appeared before them from the abyss.

It was a dragon, which easily towered over her. Its thick, muscular body was cloaked in a deep purple mist. Three great horns crowned its head, shifting between shades of red and gold. The figure completely engulfed the platform as it came to a landing. And it had horrible yellow eyes, and a sickening facsimile of a smile.

Elenar finally felt her limbs break free of the figure's grip, but her wings wouldn't let her fly away. She held Rune to her chest and backed up as the dragon stepped closer. It seemed to take glee in her fear. When the dragon "spoke", it didn't move its jaws; instead, the voice seemed to surround Elenar on all sides.

" _ **Don't be afraid, little princess. If I wanted to attack you, I'd have done it by now."**_

"Wh-Who are you?" Elenar asked. She tried to stand tall, for Rune's sake if not her own.

 _ **"Oh, do you not know?"**_ The dragon raised an eye ridge. _**"Have the legends faded away in your time? In that case, suffice it to say that I am the same as you; a sinner condemned to wander in the abyss for eternity."**_

Elenar gasped. "You're wrong! I haven't done anything to warrant condemnation!"

 _ **"Are you sure, little princess?"**_ The dragon stepped closer. _**"After all, how many dragons did you kill when you unleashed your fury?"**_

"I..." Elenar stammered. "I did it in self-defense. They were going to kill me and my son. I had no choice!"

 _ **"No choice?"**_ The dragon laughed. _**"So many are now dead because of your actions. Not even your own son was spared by your malice."**_

"But I..." Elenar's eyes widened. She looked down at Rune, who mewled in fear. No. It couldn't be. She couldn't be responsible for the death of her own son, could she?

"I..." Elenar stammered again. Her scales rippled and shook. "I didn't want to... They were going to..."

 _ **"You killed him, princess."**_ The dragon leaned his head down to glare into Elenar's eyes. _**"Would you call that good parenting? Do you think your ancestors would be pleased with you? The blood is on your paws, and can never be washed away."**_

"No..." Elenar stammered. She crumpled to the ground, panting heavily. "No, no, no..."

"Your fate is sealed, Elenar. Because of your sins, you are to linger here until the end of creation." The dragon gave a big, terrifying laugh. Elenar finally felt a few tears fall from her eyes. The stranger was right. Now her son would have to pay the price for her actions.

 _ **"But don't despair yet, princess."**_ The dragon grinned. _**"I come bearing some good news as well."**_

"What?" Elenar opened her eyes and looked at him. "What news?"

Without warning, the dragon snatched Rune up with a forepaw and held him by his scruff.

"Let me go!" Rune protested. He swung his tiny limbs in an attempt to break free, but it only made the dragon laugh.

"Put my son down!" Elenar pleaded. "Don't hurt him!"

 _ **"Oh I wouldn't dream of it, little princess."**_ The dragon said. _**"You see, while you are doomed, your dear Rune is still innocent. And that means he can be restored to life."**_

Elenar's eyes widened again. "W-What? How?"

 _ **"There's a bit of old magic, created back when our world was formed**_." The dragon passed Rune into his other forepaw, ignoring Rune's squeals. " _ **With enough power, an innocent soul can be restored to life. And I certainly have more than enough power to spare for your little cub."**_

"You..." Elenar stood upright. "You'll bring my son back to life?"

 _ **"While I certainly COULD restore your son's life..."**_ The dragon tapped his chin. _**"I have to wonder what's in it for me."**_

"What?" Elenar stepped back worriedly.

 _ **"Everything comes with a price, little princess. And returning the dead to life has a high cost indeed. So the question is, what will you offer me in exchange for restoring Rune to life?"**_

Elenar brought a forepaw to her muzzle. _Would this work. Can this stranger save him? What could I possibly lose at this point? Then again, what could I offer in exchange? I have nothing to offer... except for..._

Elenar took a breath and looked the dragon in the eyes. "Take me."

 _ **"Hmm?"**_ The dragon raised an eye ridge again. _**"Take... YOU?"**_

"Do what you want with me. I submit to you." Elenar knelt down before the dragon. "Please, just send my son back to the living world!"

The dragon gave a big, disheartening smile. _**"I humbly accept your offer, princess."**_

The dragon stood up tall and held a forepaw out before himself. He dug his talons deep into his chest, creating a ripple of purple energy. Rune cried out in fear, swinging his legs again. After a few pained grunts and snarls, the large dragon tore an orb of purple energy from his chest. After sealing the wound shut, the dragon placed the glowing orb upon Rune's chest. Rune writhed and squealed as the orb entered his body. His eyes flooded with tears as purple mist began clouding them.

"What are you doing?" Elenar shouted.

 _ **"When your son wakes up, he'll be alive and well**_." The dragon said. _**"But he will have no memory of the events leading up to his death."**_

"He'll forget everything?" Elenar asked worriedly.

 _ **"Oh yes, Elenar."**_ The dragon looked her in the eyes again. " _ **His family... his home.. even his loving mother. All will be forgotten. Such is the price of such deep magic."**_

Elenar's features drooped. On the one hand, it hurt to think that her son wouldn't remember anything about his loving home. But then again, perhaps it was for the best that Rune never remember what lead to him dying. Hopefully the rest of his family would be able to fill in the blanks.

Rune's body started glowing bright white. The big dragon moved the cub up before Elenar's muzzle. _**"Say your final goodbyes, little princess."**_

"Goodbye, my son." Elenar said quietly. She planted a light nuzzle on his forehead before backing up.

"Momma..." Rune squealed. His little paws reached for her face. But before he could reach her, the cub disappeared in a cloud of white.

Elenar collapsed onto the platform. Her son was gone; restored back to life. She'd paid her price, and submitted to the dragon. The drake grabbed her by the neck and lifted into the air. She shut her eyes tight as he licked the side of her face with his barbed tongue.

 _ **"You belong to ME now."**_ He laughed.

~~...~~

"And that's how it was for six years." Elenar said solemnly.

Urobos, Lilith and the three Guardians were seated around the princess of shadows. Jules had managed to convince the younglings to quiet down and wait patiently on the far side of the platform.

"I learned the hard way that I had given myself over to Malefor." Elenar continued. "But he at least kept his word in restoring Rune's life. It's... hard to say whether or not I regret my actions."

"Mom...?" Cyrus asked, his eyes tearing up.

Elenar sighed and pulled Cyrus closer with a wing. "Malefor needed my spirit in order for him to be brought back in the Revival Ritual. I was bound to him, so that when I was brought back, so was he."

"Mom, I..." Cyrus stammered. "I don't understand. Why would you make a deal with Malefor?"

"I didn't want Rune to suffer for my mistake." Elenar's features drooped. "I was desperate."

"So, it was Malefor's influence that gave Rune his amnesia?" Hontus asked.

"That, and the trauma of losing his life at such a young age." Urobos said with a shiver. "I tried to find him for a time to help him, but he wasn't found until I went to Glenhaven." Urobos looked between Hontus and Seraph. "From what I could tell, my grandson had a new home, a new life, and a loving family. He was safe under your care, and far away from the Well of Souls. So I believed he could live there until he was older, and I could come to explain to him all that had happened... but..."

"But then Rune started suffering those nightmares." Seraph shuddered. She sat back on her haunches and pulled her wings tightly over herself. "We tried to help him with a dreamstone... but none of us could have guessed would come next..."

"Malefor's influence has hung over Rune for all this time." Urobos said with a grim expression. "He was bidding his time, waiting for Rune to reach an age where his magic would develop further. And now Rune's purpose has been fulfilled."

"So what are we to do, then?" Jules asked. "How are we supposed to help the boy?"

"If Rune can be returned to us, than we can work to remove Malefor's influence." Elenar said. "I have faith that my Deep Shadows will succeed."

"I see..." Jules scrunched up his face. "But what if things take a turn for the worse?"

"What do you mean?" Urobos asked.

"Forgive me; I don't wish to sound like a pessimist." Jules said. He looked over at Emerald's injured face, misery passing through his eyes. "My child is hurt. It's a pain I wouldn't wish on any parent. But at least my Emerald is safely under my watch again. I dread to think what might happen to Rune." Jules turned to look back at Elenar. "But should anything happen to him, can he be brought back, like you were?"

Hontus and Seraph looked at Jules incredulously. Hontus in particular fluttered his wings. "Sir, I really don't like what you're implying."

"It's not like I want the boy to die." Jules snapped. "I just think that if it comes to it, we use should the Revival Ritual again to bring him back. Even if the last usage of it brought back Malefor, the ritual itself can still be used for good. So many innocents can be brought back after their lives were stolen. This Revival Ritual... is' a miracle."

Hontus and Seraph exchanged uneasy glances. Urobos sighed and stepped forwards. "The Revival Ritual is a dangerous thing, Sir Guardian. As much good as it's capable of, it's too easy to misuse."

"Well why not use it to undo the evil that's befallen the dragon realms?" Jules asked.

"Sir Jules..." Elenar said with a sigh. "Sometimes, it's best for the dead to stay dead."

Jules was taken aback. He seemed to be struggling with something on his chest. Eventually, the yellow drake sighed and turned to walk over to the younglings.

"Very well, milady." Jules said with a sigh. "I can only hope that your Deep Shadows pull through and return Rune to us. Forgive me if I overstepped my boundaries."

"You're forgiven, Sir Guardian." Elenar said. "And I understand. That last thing I want is for Rune to..." She stopped herself, shut her eyes, and took a breath. She felt Cyrus put his forepaw on hers.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Cyrus asked.

After taking a breath, Elenar looked down and nuzzled her son's head. "I'm alright, Cyrus. I have complete faith that Rune will be his old self soon"

"So, what do we do now?" Hontus asked. "We can't stay here. It's too dangerous for the children."

"You're right about that, Hontus." Urobos nodded. "Unfortunately, the outside world will be too dangerous for you Guardians, very soon."

"Are you talking about the eclipse?" Seraph asked.

"It's coming fast." Urobos said. "And if you come in direct contact with it, you'll sapped of all your magical power. Then you'd have no means of defending the children outside of your wits and claws."

"Surely there's a safer place we can go." Hontus said. "Somewhere where we can find shelter from the Eternal Night that isn't this bloody mountain."

"Hmm..." Urobos tugged at his beard. "I have the means to create a portal to send you to another part of the realms. It would be very tiring, but I can send you all as far as the outskirts north of Warfang. But if a battle's about to rage there, then it still wouldn't be safe to find shelter in the city..."

"There's a fishing village on the edge of the continent." Lilith said with a flutter of her wings. "We stopped there to rent a boat to cross the ocean. Perhaps the Guardians could take their children there?"

"I can't send them anywhere that I haven't been to myself." Urobos shook his head. "But I do have a bit of an idea. First we'll travel to the outskirts of Warfang. Once I've regained magic, I can teleport us again to another location. We'll continue travelling like that until we've arrived somewhere safe for the younglings."

Hontus and Seraph exchanged glances. They looked back at Jules, who had sat down beside Emerald. The green dragoness had curled up by her father's side.

"Are you fine with the plan, sir?" Hontus asked.

"It's fine by me." Jules grunted. He draped a wing over Emerald's back.

"We can't leave right away, though." Urobos said. "I need a few moments to concentrate so I can prepare the magic."

"Do as you will, old man." Jules sighed. He looked down once again at his daughter's face. "I could use the time to... be with my little girl."

"You know what?" Seraph asked as she approached the younglings. "I think I'd like to speak with my own children."

"Right..." Hontus followed her, a slight glare on his face. "We need to have a good long talk about why they shouldn't run away from home."

Blankridge and Nellie looked ashamedly at the floor as their parents approached. Roxanne just stepped to the side and frowned. Meanwhile, Lilith walked over to the side to sit down with Tina. Cyrus sat down beside his mother, while Urobos began channeling magic to prepare a portal.

Elenar patted Cyrus on the forehead and turned around to face the Well of Souls. She looked down into the abyss below, a shudder on her back.

 _Sitting here worrying won't rescue my son from Malefor_. Elenar sighed. She sat back on her haunches and began concentrating. _I should reach out for outside help... if they'll forgive me for what I've done..._

~~...~~

A shiver crawled up Bane's spine as he watched Rune attack any crepsculi he came across. It didn't matter to the white-scaled youngling what he was attacking; friend and foe meant nothing to him. He couldn't have been any more different from the young black dragon Bane saw in his study. Could Bane have prevented Rune's fate if he saw the signs sooner?

 _My son..._ Bane frowned and looked down.

"Something the matter, oh king?" Malefor asked from across the way. "Does seeing Rune this way make you lose your nerve?" The purple dragon scoffed. "And you call yourself the Dark Master."

Bane snarled. "You'll pay for what you've done to my son, Malefor!"

"Your son?" Malefor asked. "I'm the one who helped him on his journey. I'm the one who gave him a new lease on life. By all accounts, oh king, Rune is _my_ son."

Bane's snarl grew ever louder. He spread his limbs out, preparing to call upon more crepsculi...

Only for the sound teleportation magic to come from behind him. Bane quickly spun around, expecting an ambush. But instead, he found Wraith, Albanion and Elza emerging form a portal of darkness. Before Bane could even process what happened, the three Deep Shadows scattered outwards to stand around him. Elza called forth a burst of wind to send crepsculi flying backwards in a cyclone.

"My lord, are you alright?" Elza asked.

"I'm fine..." Bane said. "But how did you three get here?"

"It wasn't easy." Wraith shook his head. "It took a while to track down your trail."

"But what matters is we've come here to help." Albanion stepped forwards and spread out his wings. "Lady Elenar sends her regards."

Bane's eyes wide again. Elenar? Had the revival ritual actually worked? Bane wanted to pursue this line of thinking, but he knew he couldn't forget about the Malefor ordeal. So, the black king put on his stoic face and turned around to face the purple dragon. Wraith and Albanion stood on either side of their king as Malefor gave an awful laugh.

"Ah, so you've called upon more reinforcements?" Malefor chided. "Bring an army. It still won't do you any good."

Wraith grimaced at the carnage spread by the battling crepsculi packs. "What's happened here?"

Albanion looked down at Rune with a pained expression as the youngling tore apart one of his own crepsculi. Elza grimaced when she saw the youngling. "By the ancestors, Rune..."

"I need you all to focus." Bane said as he looked between his Deep Shadows. "Do what you can to subdue Rune while I channel more convexity."

"What are you planning, Baneth?" Albanion asked.

Bane grasped the crystal hanging from his neck. "You'll see soon enough..."

Elza and Wraith exchanged curious glances, while Albanion only nodded in understanding. The trio turned around to face Malefor and the crepsculi. Bane removed the crystal from his neck and held it in a forepaw. He sat on his haunches and shut his eyes to concentrate.

"And what do the three of you think you can do to me?" Malefor asked with a smirk. He turned towards Rune. "Deal with theses pests, apprentice."

Rune turned away from the fading crepsculi. His yellow eyes were indifferent as he looked upon the Deep Shadows. The youngling stepped forwards and spread his wings out. "Yes, Master."

Wraith grimaced. "I only just learned that Prince Rune was alive. Now I have to fight him?"

"We only need to subdue him." Albanion said as he stepped forwards. "He won't listen to reason until we've separated him from Malefor."

"Rune..." Elza said with a frown. "Forgive me."

 _Talking, talking, and more talking..._ Bane groaned. _At least it provides a distraction. I just hope I don't fail in this endeavor..._

Bane opened his eyes wide and smashed the crystal between his forepaws. He tossed the shards into the air high above his head. In a great flash, there came an explosion of purple light. The others had to shield their eyes as the entire valley was engulfed in the light.

When the light faded, the six dragons looked up at the sky. The entire valley was sealed inside a giant barrier of convexity energy. Bane looked up at the night sky. It could be seen beyond the thick sheet of purple. The twin moons hung ominously in the sky as they got closer and closer to alignment.

"What...?" Malefor looked around in confusion. He created an orb of his own convexity and tossed it at the barrier. The orb violently exploded upon colliding with the barrier, forcing Malefor to leap back to avoid recoil. A growl escaped Malefor's throat. "What is this...?"

"What do make of THIS, Malefor?" Bane asked. The black king extended his wings and looked around at his magic. "I call it the Convexity Paling. So long as I stand, you are trapped here. Cut off from the entirety of the Dragon Realms!"

"You lie!" Malefor shouted. He fired several more blasts of convexity at the paling, only for them all to explode on contact, with no damage done at all. The purple dragon roared in fury.

"Convexity can be used for more than just destruction." Bane declared. "A REAL Dark Master would know that."

"Good work, Your Highness." Wraith grinned back at the king.

"Focus, Wraith!" Bane shouted. "I'll keep the Paling going while you deal with Malefor and Rune."

"You haven't won yet!" Malefor snarled. He glared down at Rune. "Attack, my apprentice, ATTACK!"

Rune nodded his head and growled at Wraith and Albanion. The Deep Shadows took deep breaths and charged forwards to attack. Bane sighed and looked up at the moons again.

 _I've got to stall for time..._

~~...~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

I'm sorry that there's been another long period of time between updates. But it wasn't me forgetting to work on this story. The real reason for the delay is that I've spent three months working on the latest draft of my original fantasy novel, Unorthodox Dragons. Now that the draft is finished, I'm shifting focus back onto TLoR. Here's hoping I can finally lay this story to rest before the end of the ear. See you next time!

 _Tenebra ecce Veritas_


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